Antique Victorian carved Whitby jet cameo pendant here with a more modern multi-strand 20-inch Italian sterling silver popcorn chain

Fabulous antique Victorian carved Whitby jet cameo pendant paired with an Italian sterling silver multi-strand popcorn chain. The pendant could be worn on any other chain, though the jump ring may need to be gently bent open to remove the current chain.

The Whitby jet cameo pendant has a  beautifully smooth shape and has been set with a white carved right-facing cameo on a pale khaki green background. I don't actually know what material the carved cameo piece is made of and whether there were shells with this colour. The pendant has a chunky silver tone jump and an overall drop length of about 1.5 inches.

The silver chain has a length of 20 inches and fastens with a lobster clasp, either side of which there are full stamps for Italy and 925 for sterling silver. The chain and the pendant are in very good vintage condition, but please examine the photos as the jet has some tiny marks and a hairline crack on the back.

Black Whitby jet became popular in Victorian times after the death of Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert in 1861. She remained in mourning for him for the rest of her life and black mourning jewellery became widely worn.

Whitby Jet is organic and is naturally formed from fossilised wood from millions of years ago, commonly the wood of trees of the family Araucariaceae. The prehistoric wood gets washed up into a body of water and becomes covered by organic sediment. The pressure of the water and sediment over millions of years compacts the wood and slowly transforms it into what we know as Whitby Jet stone today. The finest quality jet has always come from the North-East coast of England in the county of North Yorkshire, particularly the picturesque fishing town of Whitby.