Whitby Jet

History and Creation of Whitby Jet

Jet has been used for over 4 thousand years to make jewellery, ornaments and other artefacts.  During the 19th century, around 1500 people were employed in Whitby to create, work and find Jet for the propose of making these treasured belongings. In the Victorian period, Queen Victoria made Jet a highly fashionable piece of jewellery, making pieces of jewellery containing Jet a highly prized possession. Jet has also been believed in the past to bring good fortune and magical protection to the person wearing it.

Jet is found mainly locally between the cliffs of Whitby and Staithes although mining works have taken place as far inland as Bilsdale, Rosedale and Great Ayton.  Jet is a form of fossilised drift wood created over a period of 120 million years.  it is believed that Jet comes from the Araucaria tree known in the common name of the Monkey puzzle tree.  When the trees became imbedded in a thick layer of sedimentary rock they began to fossilise and turn to Jet.  Jet is a combination of several chemicals the most common being carbon, Hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen.  Trace elements include silicon, potassium, calcium, iron, copper and aluminium.

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