Victorian Whitby Jet Brooch

The classic and timeless Victorian Whitby Jet Brooch was Made in France. Come and view this spectacular piece in store now.

Even before Queen Victoria popularised Jet, it had a high status as Mourning jewellery in the European royal courts. Since the death of Prince Albert in 1861, jet has been associated with the mourning jewellery worn by his devastated widow, Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria remained in mourning for the rest of her long life – which, in Victorian times, meant dressing only in black. Jet – especially Whitby jet – with its dark intensity and lustrous finish, was an appropriate gemstone for this sad, subdued and reflective time. Whitby Jet is a gemstone with so much more potential than mourning jewellery, however. Nicknamed ‘black diamond’ for its high lustre, Whitby Jet is an organic gemstone created when wood is subjected to extreme pressure over millions of years. Creating this beautiful fossilised semi precious gemstone.