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Jet is a geological material that is not considered a mineral in the true sense of the word, but rather, a mineraloid derived from decaying wood under extreme pressure. The name "Jet" is the English word derived from the French Jaiet.
Jet is found in one of two forms, hard and soft. "Hard" Jet is the result of the carbon compression and salt water; "Soft" Jet is the result of the carbon compression and fresh water. Jet is easily polished and has been used in the manufacture of jewelery, according to the Whitby Museum, dating to 10,000 B.C. in certain portions of modern day Germany. The adjective jet-black is perhaps more well-known than is this mineral from which it is derived.
Jet as a gem material was highly popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, during which the Queen wore Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress. In the United States, long necklaces of Jet beads were very popular during the 1920s, or Roaring Twenties, when woman and young flappers would wear multiple strands of Jet beads stretching from the neckline to the waistline. In these necklaces, the Jet was strung using heavy cotton thread; small knots were made on either side of each bead to keep the beads spaced evenly, much in the same way that fine pearl necklaces are made.
Although now much less popular, authentic jet jewels are valued by collectors. Anthracite (hard coal) and vulcanite are similar materials that have been used to imitate fine jet: these imitations are not always easy to distinguish from the real thing. Unlike black glass which is cool to the touch, true Jet is warm when touched. Also, the structure of Jet (which is remarkably like the wood that it is derived from) can be seen under 120X or greater microscopes.
External links
- Whitby Jet (http://www.whitby-uk.com/cgi-bin/site.nav/whitby.pl?page=whitbyjet)
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