Antique Victorian silver plated heavy bookchain necklace with carved Whitby jet book design pendant

Fabulous antique Victorian silver plated, elaborately constructed bookchain choker necklace and detachable carved Whitby jet book pendant. The pendant is in the shape of a book, with a heart design carved on one face and a leaf design carved on the other. The chain can be worn on its own or with this or any other pendant or locket.

The necklace has a length of about 18 inches and fastens with a classic antique, over-sized spring ring clasp. It is in very good vintage condition. The Whitby jet pendant has a carved Whitby jet pendant loop and a silver tone loop to the pendant, with an overall drop length of about 2.5 inches. The pendant is also in very good vintage condition.

Victorian book chain necklaces are an excellent example of antique jewellery that manages to look completely contemporary. The book chain design emerged during the latter part of the Early Victorian Era, or Romantic Period (1837 to 1860) and was worn at that time with a large pendant, cameo or locket at the front. Black Whitby jet also 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,