The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-20
WHERE THE REAL
JET COMES FROM.
How the Stone Is Mined and Pol
ished in Whitby, England.

How the Stone Is Mined and Pol
ished in Whitby, England.
From the New York Post.
Our great-great grandfathers were as
proud of their Whitby jet jewelry as
the American duchesses are to-day of
their husbands family diamonds Fiji
teen hundred years ago Whitby let
was fashioned into crucifixes, rosaries
crosses and other ecclesiastical devices
Tor the monks and nuns under the
charge of the Abbess Hilda at the
Monastery of Streonshalh, now known
as the ruins of Whitby Abbey. The
Lady Hilda was the eldest daughter of
Oswy, King of Northumbia, as the
northern part of the middle counties of
England was then called. Her father
in gratitude for having beaten the pa
gan King Penda, on the battlefield of
Winwidfield, founded the monastery in
A. d. 65S, and placed Hilda, then As
years of age, in charge. She was a
very devout woman, and the monks
and nuns under her We're supplied with
beads and crosses made from a local
substance known as jet. AS the years
rolled by, jet became popular on ac-
count of it's beauty, rarity and sus-
ceptibility to very high polish. 1t
was worked by clever artisans over a
grindStone and lathe, and then turned
over to expert carvers, who fashioned
it into the most elaborate brooches,
necklaces, earrings, pendants bracelets,
pins, etc. Sometimes it was set in gold
and sometimes surrounded by diamonds
and other precious stones, so that a
brooch would retail for hundreds of
pounds sterling. Paper knives, watch
charms, and an infinite variety of ar
ticles followed, and at length it became
popular to wear jet for mourning. At
the first glance, jet looks like polished
black glass, but the mereSt novice can
detect its peculiar beauties upon a clos
err examination. 1t so happens that jet
has never been found anywhere in Eng
land except in the precipitous cliff
overlooking the sea, on which the
quaint old sea port of Whitby stands.
The chief industry of Whitby for hun
dreds of years was the manufacture of
jet, and then some 700 years ago part
of the inhabitants took to fishing and
whaling, and the picturesque old sea
port has ever been the home of pros
porous community.
The late Queen Victoria was a great
admirer of jet, and during her reign
Whitby f1ourished from the industry
as never before. Muff chains, lockets,
penholders, cigarette holders, book
marks. shirtstuds, cuff links, hatpins,
spangles and bangles, flowers. and me-
dallions. we're produced in great guam
rope and especially over the British
empire. When any person of impor-
lance died in any part of Europe and
Whitby merchants would Immediately
send a box of jet mourning by express
to the bereaved family. Such jewery
as was kept was paid for by check,
and the rest of the stock returned.
OF late years a cheap substitute has
been discovered in Spain and much of
this is now used by the Whitby man
ufacturers, who find the real article
scarce and very dear. From skeletons
found IN the tumal Of the district II is
known that hundreds Of years ago Il
was customary 10 bury the dead with
jet ornaments.
Ia his Mirror Of Stones camillus
Leonardus calls SET black amber" and
states that Il possesses the peculiar
property OF attracting 10 II, when
rubbed. light substances OF all kinds.
re also tells Us that the thin smoke
produced by this friction or rubbing
was used by the ancient Britains for
driving away devils and dissoying
spells.
Jet" says d.. YOUNG. appears 70