Why does the best jet come from Whitby?

The Whitby deposits lie in the Mulgrave Shale stratum of the Lower Jurassic, some 180 million years old. The fossil wood derives from relatives of the araucarias and was petrified under very uniform, oxygen-poor conditions. The result: exceptionally homogeneous material with few cracks that can be carved smoothly and polished deeply. Spanish and French deposits are coarser-grained and break more easily.

What role did Queen Victoria play?

After the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria wore mourning jewellery of Whitby jet for 40 years. The court ordered directly from Whitby; her public mourning practice legitimated the material socially and triggered the mass boom between 1860 and 1885. During this period more than 1,000 jet workshops were operating in Whitby.

Does Whitby jet still exist today?

Yes, in very small quantities. A few workshops in Whitby still work with the material, which comes predominantly from historical spoil heaps and occasional beach finds. Industrial extraction is no longer worthwhile. New pieces are made above all as collector's jewellery and for restorations.

Whitby Jet

Whitby jet is jet from the North English coastal town of Whitby - by far the most important deposit worldwide in the 19th century and the gold standard of Victorian mourning jewellery.

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