Whitby jet mourning necklace, faceted graduated beads, c. 1885
Graduated faceted Whitby jet beads on a barrel clasp. Warm to the touch, as true jet always is.
- SKU
- MS-CU-1004
- Era
- Pre-1900
- Condition
- Very good; original silk cord replaced c. 1990, all beads intact.
- Dimensions
- 18 in. strung length
- Weight
- 2.1 oz
- Provenance
- Estate of a Northumberland antiquarian, sold at auction 2024.
- Category
- Curiosities & Oddities
- Tags
- mourningwhitby-jetvictoriannecklace
A single strand of faceted Whitby jet beads, graduated from 6mm at the clasp to 14mm at the central bead, strung on knotted silk with a jet barrel clasp. Whitby jet — fossilised monkey-puzzle wood from a specific stretch of Yorkshire coast — was the correct material for the second stage of Victorian mourning, and was worn in staggering quantities after Prince Albert's death in 1861.
True jet is warm to the touch and rings softly when tapped against itself. Both apply here. The silk cord was replaced during a sympathetic restring around 1990; the beads themselves are original and consistent in cut.
Supplied in a card box with a printed note on the history of Whitby jet and its correct care.
Related finds
More from Curiosities & Oddities →
Yellow gold and black enamel mourning brooch containing a plaited-hair miniature. Reverse engraved 'Elizabeth · aet. 34 · 1871'.
Coin-operated fortune-teller by Mills Novelty Co., Chicago. Feeds a penny, dispenses one of 96 printed fortunes.
French singing bird box by Blaise Bontems. Lid springs open; feathered bird sings, turns, and blinks before retreating.