Discover Jet Jewellery at RHEINFRANK Antique & Vintage Jewellery Berlin

The best way to describe Victorian jewellery with one word is “soulful”. It describes love and memory, with its representing symbols such as heart and hands, snakes and knots. The strict rules of the Victorian period of mourning as of 1861, asked the fact, that the pieces of jewellery should be black in the first year of grief. However, the trendy ladies of the society made this jewellery universally valid and it was worn continuously, whether grief or not.

In the middle of the 19th century dresses became more voluminous and the crinoline became fashion. Heavy velvet materials, crepe and brocade required a similar voluminous jewellery. In 1851, at the World Exhibition in London, jet jewellery was presented and as a result it became very popular soon. Along with the death of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria and the strict norms of grief involved, jet was exclusively permitted at court as of 1861. As the English population was fashion-oriented to the court still those days, jet had its golden age in the following 20 years. Jet (Gagat) is a fossil wood, which itself is in a transitional stage of brown coal to hard coal.

The best qualities were produced and manufactured in Whitby in Yorkshire. Jet is very light, however, has a very strong effect! The most common forms with chains are facetted spheres, single or multiple row threaded, as well as large-link colliers. Earrings could be designed in large forms thanks to the low material weight, so that the ears had no unnecessary weight. Bangles and bracelets were mostly sold in pairs and were threaded on elastic ribbons. Especially popular was the snake bracelet made of facetted links. Such jet jewellery is to be found in our repertoire only for a short time, because it is still very popular these days. Of course there were also brooches made of jet, also in partly expansive dimension.

Jet can be combined very well with mussel cameos, cut steel and silver. And thus, these typical Victorian materials united in one piece of jewellery are to be found over and over again, but rarely in a good condition. Jewellers of the 19th century could prove their fantastic carving and engraving qualities with jet as well as with mussels. Still today the results generate admiration with detail-loving jewellery lovers.

Even in the 21st century, jet hasn’t lost none of its topicality and modernity. Combined with our clothes it is still a statement and it expresses the self-confidence and design understanding of the female wearer. Have we aroused your interest for our antique jet jewellery? We constantly have a wide range of this unique jewellery in our repertoire.