C.1860-1870. A Victorian Whitby jet bead necklace. The beads are graduated in size, and it has a silver clasp with a diamond paste, which adds character to the necklace. Jet is fossilized wood, which has been compressed over thousands of years. The material was found at the seaside town called Whitby in east England, and was named after the place of the origin. With its natural color of rich black, Whitby jet became a very popular in the Victorian period, and was widely used to make mourning jewelry.  
This necklace has a very modern and timeless look with the clean and round beads. It is easy to wear, and beautiful as a single layer or multilayered with other chains. And authentic Whitby jet jewelry is not heavy. The clasp works securely with a good click sound, although at this length, the strand can be worn without using it. The clasp can be a simple accent in sideways. The beads are professionally restrung with a sturdy black cord, and ready to be worn. It is approximately 30” in length. The diameter of the biggest beads measures approximately 0.95” and 0.46” in the smallest. Overall the necklace is in great condition.  

* The last image shows our together. The gold chain with banded agate beads is coming soon.