Instead, it forms when an individual piece of woody material such as a tree branch is washed into a body of water, becomes waterlogged, sinks to the bottom and is covered by organic-rich sediment. It is then compacted, degraded, and heated in isolation. This produces a material that is similar to coal; however, this material is much more influenced by the geochemical environment of the surrounding organic-rich shale.
Jet is thought to absorb oils released by the decay of oil-rich organic debris in the surrounding rock, such as algae and plankton. As the jet is transformed into a rock, it does not develop a system of fractures, known as "cleat," which develops in a coal seam. This gives the jet a more uniform texture and a toughness that contrasts with the friability of coal removed from a seam.
The woody origin of jet has been confirmed because, when examined under magnification, jet contains the preserved cellular structure of the original woody plants. Some specimens display obvious plant structures without magnification.
Jet (lignite)
Craftsmen who work with jet recognize that material from some areas is much harder than that from others. The "hard jet" tends to be associated with bituminous shales that were deposited in salt water, while the "soft jet" tends to be associated with bituminous shales that were deposited in freshwater environments. Jet found in the Whitby area of England was deposited in a saltwater swamp about million years ago.
It was then compressed during burial and geologically heated to temperatures and pressures that took it through the rank of lignite, and almost to the rank of sub-bituminous coal. This has given the hard jet of Whitby the better working qualities than any other jet that has been found in abundance. As a result, "Whitby Jet" is now famous throughout the world.
Jet has a few properties that make it useful and desirable. These have dictated its use across the centuries. The first of these properties is its ability to be easily carved or cut into shapes. Jet is soft and has a uniform texture, which allows it to be carved with precision. Jet can be rubbed to a nice matte finish or polished to a very bright luster. Done well, these finishes enhance the aesthetic value of carved or cut pieces of jet. Jet also has a low specific gravity. This allows the beads to be worn with greater comfort and the brooch to be worn without placing as much stress or hanging awkwardly on the garment.
Jet found by beachcombing: Two pieces of Whitby Jet found by beachcombing along the eastern shore of England.
They show the "rounded" shape and matte luster of jet that is collected along the beach. These pieces are about 2 centimeters in size and produce a brown streak. The most important source of jet has always been the eastern coast of England and Scotland, centered near what is now the community of Whitby. In this area people found small, black, rounded, light-weight stones along the shoreline. They discovered that these stones could easily be fashioned into beads and other objects and could be polished to a very bright luster.
From Charcoal to a Polished Gem: Cathrina Cathrina: theranchhands.com: Books
In ancient Egypt, small flat pieces of jet were polished to a bright luster and used as mirrors. People have been making items from jet since the Stone Age. One of the oldest known jet objects is a necklace made from alternating jet and chalk beads found in a Neolithic burial in France. Necklaces of jet beads have been found in numerous bronze-age mound burials in England and Scotland. At two bronze-age sites in England, partially finished jet items, waste fragments, and the tools used to make them reveal an early jet industry [1].
During the Roman rule of Britain, much jet was collected along the beaches around Whitby and taken to York for manufacturing into jewelry and other items. These items were then marketed locally and sold to merchants in Europe. Items made with jet were marketed with stories claiming that the material had protective and healing properties. This inspired people to fashion jet into amulets and talismans that were worn for protection or good fortune.
Diamond Sayings and Quotes
The greatest popularity of jet began in about when Queen Victoria began wearing it in "mourning jewelry" after the death of her husband, Prince Albert. Perhaps inspired by the Queen, many people in England and other parts of the world began wearing jewelry made with jet.
- First Time at the Gay Bar (gay virgin anal).
- "Whitby" Jet.
- Whitby Jet: A Black Organic Gem, A Rock Similar to Coal?
Jet was used to make beads, cabochons, cameos, intaglios, combs, hair pins, bangles, rosaries, cane handles, pens, seals, letter openers, candlesticks, silverware handles, and many other decorative and useful objects. By this time, beachcombers in eastern Scotland and England had found most of the shoreline jet. Manufacturers then turned to mining the bituminous shales of the Upper Lias.
These shales contained nodules and thin bands of jet. They were abundant enough that, in some areas, workers could tunnel into the shale and extract profitable quantities of jet.
Product details
Jet mining began shortly before Queen Victoria called attention to jet and continued into the s. From Charcoal to a Polished Gem. Set up a giveaway. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Learn more about Amazon Prime. Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. Get to Know Us. English Choose a language for shopping.
Explore the Home Gift Guide. Amazon Music Stream millions of songs. Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon. Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web. AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally.
- Diamond Sayings and Diamond Quotes | Wise Old Sayings.
- Epiphany in A Cluttered Room: A Memoir of Sorts!
- Healing Shadow in Hawaii (Hawaii Photo Book Book 9).
Amazon Inspire Digital Educational Resources. Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go. Amazon Restaurants Food delivery from local restaurants. ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics. East Dane Designer Men's Fashion. Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands. Withoutabox Submit to Film Festivals.