Jet necklace and button, East Yorkshire, c.2500-500BC
This necklace and button are made out of jet. Jet was thought to contain magic. If you rub jet it can pick up fluff and sawdust. We now know this is because of static electricity but it must have seemed pretty weird 3000 years ago.
Jet was thought to attract good fortune because of its magic. It was highly valued. This necklace must have belonged to a well-off lady. The button was found in a manâs grave, placed under the skull.
Jet items were traded all over North Western Europe. East Yorkshire was the centre for jet working. This was due to the major supply at geological outcrops near Whitby.
Jet buttons were skilfully shaped and drilled with a V-shaped hole. They were worn as decoration and to fasten clothing. They are usually found in menâs graves. The jet discs are sometimes placed ritually behind the skull.
The jet necklace is from Middleton-on-the-Wolds in East Yorkshire. It is restrung with modern wooden spacer beads and dates from the Bronze Age, 2500-600 BC.
Jet is a semi-precious stone which when polished becomes a deep opaque black. This rich black colour never fades. It comes from a rare and hard from of fossilised wood. The wood came from a type of monkey puzzle tree.
