Admired all over the world for its unique black hue, it’s impossible to miss especially when wandering the cobbled streets of Whitby. The popular expression ‘as black as Jet’ or ‘Jet black’ that is used to describe an intense, deep blackness gets its name from the much loved British gemstone that washes up on our coastline. It does look a little different in its raw form that is naturally found on the beach as the dark black shade with its mirror-like shine is revealed after a high polish.
Distinctive and Unique
Unlike many other gemstones such as Amber, Turquoise or Blue John, which we are very familiar with, the colour takes on many different personalities. What we mean by this is that the stone may have very different colours, veins or inclusions that look completely different to each other. Amber, for example, is well known as this fiery, orange colour however, it is available in green, yellow and brown. Also, the insects and plant debris that are frozen in time make Amber stones look very different to one another. However, Jet does not alter in colour, the distinctive black shade is very even and intense from stone to stone.
The Finest Whitby Jet
If a piece of polished Jet is not deep black or appears more brown in colour, this may be an imitation. There are a lot of them around unfortunately making the market a little confusing however, there are a few tests that you can do, more on that here. Buying from an official stockist like ourselves who handpick all our Jet from the local coastline, you can guarantee that each piece of Whitby Jet jewellery is 100% genuine and uniform in the depth of colour that you can expect from the finest Jet around.
Queen Victoria’s Love For Whitby Jet
Its black shade made it the popular choice for mourning jewellery, especially with Queen Victoria exclusively wearing Jet after the death of her beloved prince Albert died. Whitby Jet became very in demand during this period in history with many flocking to the town in search of the gem. Today, the truly unique gemstone is so much more than mourning jewellery and can be worn every day of the week for many different occasions. Our stunning collections honour Jet’s heritage with contemporary, modern designs.
