Jewellery & Watch News
Whitby Jet’s high sheen is difficult to miss! It’s known worldwide for its intense black hue and brilliant lustre bringing many to our seaside town to catch a glimpse of our local gemstone for themselves. It’s shiny appearance is the perfect finish for making beautiful, striking pieces of jewellery that stand out when worn. Alongside its weightlessness and warmth, Whitby Jet is always the favourite choice when it comes to jewellery.
Jet Hunters
Unlike the fragments spotted on the beach, our contemporary Whitby Jet jewellery has a impressive sheen once it leaves our workshop. That’s why it is quite difficult to spot Jet on the Northern coastline as it is very rare and can easily be mistaken for lookalikes such as coal or even plastic. It’s natural, raw form is definitely not as shiny as pieces sold in boutiques all over Whitby but it may appear to have a slight shine to its appearance. For Jet hunters who are keen to find the local gem for themselves there are many simple tests you can do to distinguish between the two. We’ve talked all about it here.
Polished to Perfection
It’s true. Once beach combed pieces of Jet are discovered by our gemstone specialists and enter our workshop, they leave with a completely different appearance. Our experienced jewellers polish raw sea washed Whitby Jet to guarantee a high sheen that can only be described as a mirror-like shine. Not only does the smooth, polished finish make sure that the gem looks incredible around your neck or wrist, you can actually check out your reflection.
Magic and Folklore
If you believe in all things magic and witchcraft then scrying mirrors will definitely be of interest. Black mirrors have always had a part to play in folklore with many hoping to see a vision or message. The unfamiliar world of scrying is also recognised as ‘seeing’ or ‘peeping’ with many wishing to find inspiration or guidance via the dark mirrors. A past tradition usually planned for Halloween is for a young woman to look into a scrying mirror in a dark room in the hope to see the face of their future husband. If a skull was to appear it means that they may die before walking down the aisle! It’s impossible to know if Whitby Jet in particular was used in this way but it is likely with the gem being so mirror-like when polished.
Whitby Jet bracelets ready for their final polish.
Victorian Mourning Practices
As we all know Whitby Jet was extremely popular during the Victorian age with many travelling to our charming town to invest in a piece of jewellery. A lot of people followed the trend influenced by their much loved Queen who found comfort in Jet when Prince Albert passed. However, it was tradition that in times of high mourning in the Victorian era, Jet should be left unpolished as they feared that the dead would not leave this world once they caught a glimpse of their reflection and therefore, their soul would be trapped for all of eternity.
Whitby Jet's shine is truly beautiful, see it for yourself with our unrivalled selection of Whitby Jet jewellery.
