The new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
The history behind … Whitby jet
Although the gemstone reached its peak of popularity in the second half of the 19th century, it’s experiencing a resurgence as designers pair the fossilized wood with other high-end materials.
New York--Whitby jet could be making a comeback in the United States soon.
The gemstone--yes, jet is a gemstone--reached its peak of popularity in the second half of the 19th century.
For the majority of the 20th century, jet jewelry was shunned as an unattractive stone that people weren’t interested in. At best, it was set in silver costume jewelry and sold to tourists around Whitby, England, where much jet originates.
But in the past 25 to 30 years, Tucker says, people have started to look at the gemstone again.
“We now set it alongside diamonds and in platinum and 18-karat gold,” she says. “We’re really setting a high standard for jet jewelry, and that’s part of its success, in raising the bar and letting people know (jet) deserves to be set in high-end jewelry as well.”
Tucker said C.W. Sellors made jet jewelry for Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday, as well as a jet jewelry set that was worn by actress Donna Air for a premiere of The Amazing Spiderman in 2012. In addition, designer Jacqueline Cullen brought a Whitby jet collection to Couture last year, where she exhibited as part of Stephen Webster’s Rock Vault.
RELATED CONTENT: Jetting around with Jacqueline Cullen
The television series Downton Abbey also has had an impact on jet’s rebounding popularity, as some of the key characters have worn jet jewelry.
Although mining Whitby jet was an accepted practice and happened in enormous quantities during the Victorian era, it’s not permissible to do so in Whitby now due to coastal erosion. Its limited deposits are still beach-combed by locals, who wait for stormy weather to wash the material off the cliffs.
“People appreciate its history and it being a really unusual gemstone, and because it’s a classic black stone, it goes with everything,” Tucker says. “It’s going to keep rolling; there’s a growing appreciation for it.”
What is Whitby jet?
After a tree fell, it would sink to the bottom of the sea, get covered with sediment, and the pressure and lack of oxygen--coupled with 180 million years--would fossilize the wood into jet. Now, jet can be found in a 10-mile radius of the small seaside town of Whitby on the Northeast coast of England, as well as in Russia, Spain, Poland and certain parts of North America.
What was Whitby jet used for? Whitby jet has been used to make jewelry and body adornments for thousands of years, Tucker says, and is thought to be one of the earliest gemstones known to man, with pieces of worked jet dating back to the Stone Age. Jet also was used as a talisman to ward off evil.
When was it popular? Whitby jet was at the height of its popularity in the latter half of the 19th century, Tucker says. The success of the jet industry at this time can be attributed to Queen Victoria’s love of the gemstone--she at one point was so fond of it, she made it compulsory for jet jewelry to be worn at court.
“She actually made it popular,” Tucker explains. “She and Prince Albert were great patrons of British manufacture, and that was one of the reasons she liked Whitby jet. When Prince Albert died, she chose it as her gemstone of choice to represent her period of mourning. So now it’s associated with mourning because of the way Queen Victoria wore it, although much jet is also fashion jewelry and unassociated with mourning.”
When it is mourning jewelry, however, jet was typically used for lockets and photographs.
Why did people work in Whitby jet? While jet can be found around the world, the jet found around Whitby has always been considered the best and most prized because of the superior shine that can be achieved on its surface as well as its durability, Tucker says, allowing craftsmen to carve the most intricate designs.
Whitby jet also can stand the test of time; foreign jets eventually will crack and crumble, and do not produce the same high shine due to it not being as dense as Whitby jet. Tucker says it is thought that the millions of tons of rock that applied immense pressure during the fossilization process has is what has made Whitby jet denser than the rest.
What other materials were used with Whitby jet? Throughout the 19th century, there were many different mediums that were popular alongside Whitby jet, such as the use of human hair, which was popular for both love tokens and mourning jewelry. “Pietra dura,” an Italian skill, and shell cameos also were popular pairings, and would be crafted in Italy before being sent to Whitby to be set in jet by specialized workers.
How much are Whitby jet pieces worth? Victorian pieces can range from a few hundred to many thousands of pounds.
“Antique Whitby jet is becoming increasingly collectible and desirable due to its rarity and a better understanding of its importance in England’s social history, as well as its place in the history of jewelry,” Tucker says.
Modern jet jewelry is made at a price accommodating all budgets, she continued. Sterling silver and jet stud earrings can cost approximately $30, while exclusive, high-end jet and diamond pieces set in 18-karat gold or platinum can run into the thousands of pounds.
Still, one thing is for sure, Tucker says.
“For the first time in Whitby jet’s history, we are now setting the gem in jewelry made to appeal to a more international market, and in exclusive jewelry that raises the profile of this humble British gemstone.”
How can a retailer add Whitby jet pieces to their jewelry offerings? The jewelry store Tucker works with, C.W. Sellors Fine Jewellery and Luxury Watches in England, has 35 years of experience working with Whitby jet and supplies hundreds of jewelers around the world with the gemstone.
W. Hamond, in Whitby, England, also works in Whitby jet.
The Latest

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.


The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

The Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.

Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.

The parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.

The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.

The trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.

Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.

“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.

The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.

The line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.

The rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.

The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.

The champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.