Large Victorian Whitby Jet & Cameo Necklace, British, c. 1865

Jet is a special form of fossilized coal that has been used as jewellery since prehistoric times due to its unique luster and ease of carving. The Romans were already making jewellery and amulets from jet; from the Middle Ages onwards, it was used to make mourning jewellery and rosaries in Europe. At the end of the 19th century, during the heyday of jet fashion, it was mainly used for jewellery. Due to its special lightness, the material made it possible to produce large pieces of jewellery, as was the fashion at the time. The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London made carvings made of jet known worldwide, and after Queen Victoria banned the wearing of jewellery (with the exception of jet) at the English court following the death of the Prince Consort in 1861, it was long regarded as mourning jewellery. This magnificent necklace is made of artfully crafted Whitby jet and is a typical piece of jewellery from the mid-Victorian period. The shiny, rich black elements are carved into interlocking links and arranged in a graduated pattern, i.e. they become larger towards the center. The center of the necklace is adorned with five drop-shaped cameos depicting ancient deities in sculptural relief. The necklace combines the cameo fashion of the time with the taste for jet jewellery. We can therefore date this unusual piece to the 1860s. It probably originated in England but came to us from Munich.

Estimate:$1,100.49

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