Whitby Jet

Sea-Washed Raw Whitby Jet Pieces.

Foraged by hand from the Yorkshire coast of England, sea-washed Whitby jet such as this has been used for centuries to make shiny black jewelry. Many examples of Whitby jet jewelry can be found from the Viking age in the form of pendants, rings, necklaces & other adornments. Whitby Jet is fossilised wood from the early Jurassic (Toarcian) age and comes from trees similar to the modern day Monkey Puzzle or Araucaria tree. It is 180 - 185 million years old and is now a relative rarity to find in the ground, as all the main seams were mined out during the Victorian era when jet jewelry became incredibly fashionable.