Victorian Carved Whitby Jet Shell Cameo Earrings

Elegant Victorian jet earrings with handcarved shell cameo plaques at their centre. The earrings have beautiful rope-twist carving around the teardrops and two interlinked hoops above, suspended on metal ear wires.

Jet is a type of coal, made from driftwood which sinks to the floor of the sea and becomes slowly buried in mud, hardening over millions of years. Victorian jet, now extremely collectible, largely comes from the English seaside town of Whitby - not to be confused with "French jet", which is actually black glass. Jet was popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore only black mourning jewellery following the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861. Jet was expensive - both limited in supply and requiring skilled craftsmanship to carve without breaking.

SIZE: Approximately 5.2cm total drop from the top of the ear wire x 1.9cm.

WEIGHT: 6.5g.

MATERIALS: Jet, shell, metal.

HALLMARKS/STAMPS: None.

CONDITION: The earrings are in very good antique condition; we see no cracking or chips to the jet or shell, just a little minor surface wear/natural imperfections.

ERA: Estimated Victorian (c.1837-1901).

Antique and vintage boxes photographed are for display only and are not included unless stated in the description.

Please be sure to examine all the photos carefully as they form part of the description, and do feel free to ask if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help where we can!

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UK DELIVERY: Free! All items to UK addresses are shipped via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

DELIVERY OUTSIDE THE UK: Free for purchases over £125. For purchases below £125, shipping to addresses outside the UK costs £20. All international deliveries are sent via Royal Mail's Tracked International service.

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