Antique Architectural Concentric Circle Whitby Jet Earrings

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Antique Architectural Concentric Circle Whitby Jet Earrings

About the Item

Wonderfully modern form geometric concentric circle earrings with three concentric circles inlaid within a larger circle. The earrings are mounted on shepherds hooks for uncomplicated administration and removal. While the earrings are almost 2.5 inches long and quite large, they are almost weightless due to the material from which they are made, jet, a form of fossilized coal. Jet jewelry pieces could and were made large due to the feather light weight of the material. The final image is a pair of jet earrings found in the book "Victorian Jewelry" by Ginny Reddington Dawes, strikingly similar to ours. Jet was a form of fossilized coal that was mined from the mines of Whitby, England. Whitby jet jewelry experienced it's heyday in the nineteenth century, as it was thought the contrast of the dark black of the jet was attractive against pale skin, considered a mark of beauty. It was additionally popular because jet could be worn as mourning jewelry, but by no means was it solely used as mourning jewelry. An entire industry revolved around jet jewelry; the skilled carver who carved the raw material into beautiful forms, and then there was the polisher who used his tools to polish the pieces to a smooth and silky finish. Following these techniques, there existed a whole cottage industry of women to assemble the jewelry on wires for earrings or bands for bracelets and necklaces. Whitby jet employed many men and women for the better part of the century in the small town of Whitby, England. Following about 1880, Victorian women lost interest in mourning jewelry. The last factory closed in the early 1900s with the death of the final jet jewelry carver The skills and materials needed to make this uniquely Victorian form of jewelry are no longer available.

Style:
Victorian
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
1880-1889
Date of Manufacture:
1880
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Baltimore, MD
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2518045961