jet

Victorian Mourning Chain
This Whitby Jet chain necklace is a classic piece of mourning jewellery dating from around 1855. These items were expensive to buy and often worn as a sign of wealth, status and social position rather than a display of personal grief.

During the reign of Queen Victoria protocol dictated that only Jet jewellery could be worn at court during periods of official mourning. This royal endorsement confirmed the status of Jet as the material of choice for mourning jewellery and fuelled the expansion of the Jet industry in the late 1800's. Never was this more so than in the period following the death of Victoria's husband Prince Albert from typhoid fever in December 1861.

The double chain necklace features two Lily of the Valley carvings, depicting purity of the soul. The workmanship is exquisite and a testament to the skilled craftsmen who toiled in the small, dust ridden Victorian workshops in the northeast fishing port of Whitby.
http://www.blackasjet.co.uk/