How can i tell whitby jet

We advise that this technique should always be carried out by a professional to avoid damaging an antique or causing a fire! The hand carving technique guarantees individuality! There you have it! A list of mostly DIY tests that help an untrained eye identify the fakes. Skip to content Javascript is currently disabled, website functionality will be limited.

Identifying Fake Whitby Jet. Next Article. Whitby Jet's Versatility 20 April Jet has been used in jewellery since about BC. Pieces of worked Jet have been found in prehistoric burial mounds and in the 1st Century AD Pliny ascribed a variety of medicinal properties to Jet. Jet has mainly been used in jewellery and ornaments ranging from brooches, cameos, beads, necklaces, earrings, crucifixes, busts, miniature furniture, chess tables and even small models of buildings such as Whitby Abbey.

On a more practical basis Whitby Museum contains spindles of Jet used in spinning, a loom weight and a tray for visiting cards. Page from a typical pattern book. Typical necklace made of Jet. Other Museums in Yorkshire and abroad may have one or two isolated examples as well. However Whitby is particularly famed for its high quality Jet.

It occurs in thin seams or as nodules. Jet was generally mined, though it can sometimes be picked up off the beach. The mines were run by small companies of up to 12 men and consisted of tunnels driven into the side of hills.

These tunnels were about 1. At the mine-face the miners used a pointed pick and shovel to loosen the jet. Explosives were rarely used because of the risk of damaging the jet. At the mine-face candles were usually used for illumination, though lanterns and oil lamps were used in some mines.

It was then transported to Whitby to be made into jewellery and ornaments. Ebonite or vulcanite, bakelite, black glass, coal, epoxy resins and other materials have all been used to imitate Jet. Most of these do not leave a brown streak when rubbed on a piece of unglazed porcelain though ebonite or vulcanite will. The definitive test is to use a red hot needle on some inconspicuous part of the item when a coal-burning smell will ensue.

However be very careful not to destroy or damage the item, remember Jet will burn. A safer way is to closely examine the item in question — signs of moulding rounded edges rather than the sharp edges obtained by carving or fading in sunlight to a khaki colour are sure signs that the item is an imitation. Remember also that Jet is warm to the touch unlike glass for instance. Jet can be shaped by means of knives, saws and files. However in the early s mechanical means of turning, cutting and polishing were used.

Mining for Whitby Jet started on the coast around and the last Jet mine closed in at Cod Hill near Guisborough. Mining occurred along the coast on the Jet outcrops between Ravenscar and Boulby, throughout the Esk valley and along the Northern escarpment of the Cleveland Hills as far as Osmotherly.

The mines were worked by small groups of men where drifts were driven in to the hillside by hand using a pick. The soft shale was then barrowed out into the hillside where any Jet was separated. Once the face of the drift became too hard to dig the roof of the mine was collapsed, working up through the band of rock until the top jet dogger was reached. The collapsed shale would be used to raise the floor of the mine and make a platform for working. This work was all done by candlelight with no ventilation.

The large spoil heaps can still be seen along the Northern escarpment of the Cleveland Hills and throughout the North Yorkshire Moors. The Victorian Jet Industry. The first jet workshops opened in Whitby in the early 's but it was the opening of the Pickering to Whitby railway that opened in that brought the Victorian holidaymakers to the town and created a greater demand for the Whitby Jet souvenirs.

By there were around 50 ornament and jewellery manufacturers. In the great exhibition was held in London and one of the the most talented Jet carvers, Isaac Greenery, exhibited his work and secured orders from various high profile guests. The Whitby Jet on show attracted international attention, raising the profile of the industry. It would be a few years later when Prince Albert died in that would once again bring attention to the industry. Queen Victoria wore Jet as part of her mourning dress for several years, which added to its popularity.

In its peak in the late 's it is thought there were around people working in the Jet industry, supported by around miners. Over the years fashions changed and the once bulky black carved statement pieces that were once at the height of fashion were no longer worn.

The huge demand during the peak of the industry and the high price of good quality raw materials saw many simulants such as pressed horn, vulcanite and lower quality imported materials being used.

A rare photograph of William Wrights workshop in The rough Jet being graded removing the spa using a chisel. Photograph courtesy of the Sutcliffe Gallery. How can I tell if my Jet is real? Cheaper imitations are often sold as Whitby Jet. These include vulcanite, bakelite, black glass, coal, epoxy resin and bog oak. There are a number of ways to check whether you have genuine Jet or an imitation.

Always keep your Jet separate from other jewellery to prevent it from getting scratched. It can be cleaned using mild detergent and warm water. Wiping gently with baby oil on a piece of cotton wool will restore the shine.