How do you recognise genuine jet?

Genuine jet feels warm in the hand, is very light and electrostatic: rubbed against wool, it attracts small scraps of paper. Pressed glass (so-called French jet) feels cold and heavy; vulcanite discolours towards brown over the years.

Is jet still worked today?

Yes, above all in Whitby (Yorkshire), where a small workshop scene continues the tradition. Genuine pieces are rare and correspondingly expensive; nineteenth-century vintage jewellery dominates the market.

Jet (Gagate)

Jet - German Gagat - is a fossil, deep-black material formed from petrified wood which in the nineteenth century became the very epitome of Victorian mourning jewellery.

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