The Democratic advocate., 1873-11-01
Jet-How and Where it is Obtained.


gives the following interesting particulars
regarding jet, material much used for
the manufacture of mourning jewelry. In
this country, we may remark, the substance
is largely initiated by yulcanized rubber,
which, when new, closely resembles the
genuine article Real jet jewelry mounted
in gold is worth from five and six to as
high as seventy dollars per set, the price,
however, depending principally upon the
quantity of precious metal used. II is
very serviceable, and, unlike rubber, II re-
tains its brilliancy.
Jet is of two distinct species--hard jet
and soft jet--but the latter is of very mi
nor Importance and will be referred to
hereafter.
The hard Jet is found in the strata
known as the jet rock, which appears to
be deposit Of sea anemones, and some
years ago patent was taken out to distil
petroleum from it.
The Jet rock occurs in the lias forma-
ton, some thirty yards above the main
band Of Cleveland ironstone, and is dis
covered in compressed masses in layers of
very different sizes, being generally from
half an inch to two and half inches in
thickness, from four to thirty inches wide,
and four or FIVE feet in length. It inya-
riably tapers away, running, MS the miners
say, to "feather edge"
These jet layers are always protected by
a skin, the color making another division;
for that found in the cliffs by the sea has
always blue skin, while that discovered in
the inland hills has yellow coating. The
jet found in the same mine varies very
much in quality; its worst specimens, those
which are quite brown and will not take a
polish, are termed "dazed jet"
The soft jet is confined to the lower
oolite-in the sandstone and shale--some
100 yards higher than the hard jet, and is
undoubtedly of pure ligneous origin, the
fiber and the branches of trees being more
or less distinctly marked.
The most valuable finds of Jet have
been washed down by the seas action,
where the jet rock crops out in the cliffs,
and on the cliffs, where the seams are ex-
posed. The dealers ofth town of Whitby,
in Yorkshire, England, where the principal
deposits of the material exist, rent these
jet cliffs aud inland seams from the owners,
generally for fixed lump sum paid in ad-
vance-not for royalty-for the right to
work certain number Of yards. Nearly
all the jet now obtained is found inland,
but in former days tales are told of men
being swung by ropes over steep cliffs like
the eiderdown hunters of Norway. At
present, cliff jet is worked with the same
mining operations as that lying under the
inland hills.
The process is very simple, and, to those
acquainted with the intricacies of iron and
coal mining, Of no very great interest A
mine is commenced by drifting into the
face of rock passage, Of seven feet by
FIVE. A tramway is then laid down, and
the shale is tilted from the mouth of the
mine, the drift continued for about forty
yards, at the rate of from two to four feet
per diem then cross drifts are started in
a variety of directions. As soon as the
rock becomes too hard, the miners retire,
pulling in the roofs as they recede, for the
! bulk Of the jet is found generally in the
falling top rock.
There are at present twenty-three jet
mines in full work, only one of these being
of soft jet. The average number of men
employed in each mine is six, and there
are now some hundred and fifty miners
engaged in this industry. The men are
generally paid by the week, and only earn
from twenty-four to twenty-six shillings-
a sorry contrast to the high wages Of the
iron miners.
Hard jet varies in prices from 75 cents
to $3.50 per h.; soft jet from S1.37 to
$50 per stone, according to size and
quality, and sometimes also according tc
the fluctuations of the market. For in
stance, when the Prince of Wales life wal
in danger, Whitby was thronged with
buyers for both the raw and manufactured
article at any price, and some speculators
were severely bitten by his happy recovery
It is stated that the turnover in rougl
English hard jet amounts to 5000, 900
, annually.
The material is manufactured as fol
lows The jet is first peeled and strip
! ped Of its skin, be it blue or yellow, b,
i means Of a manual chipping process will
r a heavy iron-handled chisel 1t is ther
j sawn up into the exact sizes for the object
: for which it is intended, the saw bein,
guided by an ingenious arrangement ol
t little wooden sdirectors. Much care i
!, taken in this process of Saving up fol
] great economy can, by rigid supervision
+ be effected, one manufacturer stating tha
$ by very simple arrangement he was abl
! to make his raw material go fifth furthe
/ than any Of his rivals. The little frag
G ments are then delivered to workmen
Z who, with the aid Of small grindstone
t driven by a foot treadle, take off tn
: angular portions and reduce them NOR
G nearly to the required dimensions. The
e then pass into the hands of the carver
h who, with knives, small chisels, anc
o gouges, soon, If it be rough work only, Gu
/ them into the desired pattern. If tn
n work, however, be really artistic, th
d carving is Of course a much more artist,
e process and it Is curious to see lads an
s men, who one might fairly think had nc
i the slightest knowledge in the work Of al
= principles, cut deftly and rapidly cameo
d that in their beauty of profile resemble tn
T. old masterpieces; flower scrolls and grour
n Of fruit that have marvellous fidelity
h Nature herself; and crucifxes and per
l. dauts that rival the ingenuity and patienC
Ie Of the "heathen Chinee." Sometimes yo
d notice them with pattern placed befol
1t them, or with a rough design scratched
knife's point upon the material itself
oftenest, however, ii would seem as thoug
81 the work were altogether original
d After being carved, the goods are r,
% moved to the polishing room, where II
or first process, in the case of rough good
d again takes place, upon treadle grin,
q stone fed with oil and ''rottenstone.
n Then the finish and the polish are give
B. by what is termed, rougeing. Here II
in articles are held against quickly revolvin
4 -. l.. 4 n n . Il ~