A striking Victorian Whitby jet necklace composed of graduated, intricately carved beads, individually worked with stylised leaf and foliate decoration and traditionally strung on silk thread.
Details
Date: Victorian, 19th century
Material: Whitby jet
Length: 52 cm end to end
Construction: Carved graduated beads strung on silk thread
Decoration: Carved foliate and leaf motifs
Origin: England
Condition
In great vintage condition
As an antique piece, some signs of age and use are to be expected and form part of its character. Please refer closely to the photographs, which form part of the description.
History
Whitby jet became one of the most fashionable materials for jewellery during the Victorian period. Formed from fossilised wood and famously associated with Whitby on the Yorkshire coast, it could be polished to a deep, lustrous black and intricately carved by skilled craftsmen.
Jet became particularly associated with mourning jewellery following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, when Queen Victoria’s prolonged mourning had an enormous influence on fashion. It was not, however, exclusively worn for mourning; beautifully carved jet necklaces, brooches, bracelets and earrings became fashionable accessories in their own right.
