Collection: Jet

Jet is a semi - precious stone of organic origin, often black, used in jewelry and ornamentation since Antiquity.

🌑 Origin and training

Jet is a fossil form of wood transformed under pressure over millions of years. It is a variety of lignite , therefore a coal, but hard enough to be polished and used as a gemstone. It is formed from the wood of ancient trees (often conifers), buried in marine or lake sediments.

🔬 Features

• Color : deep black, sometimes very dark brown.

• Shine : can be very shiny once polished (lacquered appearance).

• Hardness : low (2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale), therefore relatively fragile.

• Texture : light, almost woody to the touch.

• Chemical origin : rich in carbon, close to coal.

📍 Famous deposits

• Whitby, England : the most famous deposit, exploited since Roman times.

• France : notably in Ariège (Pyrenees jet).

• Spain , Turkey , United States : other secondary deposits.

💎 Use

• Mourning jewelry : Very popular in the Victorian era (19th century), as deep black suited the conventions of mourning.

• Brooches, necklaces, pearls , etc.

• Decorative objects : cameos, buttons, crucifixes.

🧙 Symbolism and beliefs

• Associated with protection against the evil eye and negative energies.

• Used in certain esoteric practices for its purifying properties .

• Lucky charm for some sailors or travelers.

⚠️ Counterfeits

Jet can be imitated with black glass or plastics. A simple test is to rub the stone on a rough surface: jet leaves a brownish mark , while glass leaves no mark.