This French Jet pendant was purchased as the last known made by an elderly maker decades ago in the former Czechoslovakia. They are set (soldered and fused) with hand cut glass stones over 100 years old in traditional mounts used by his family from the the late 1800s -1930s. French jet jewellery was made from shiny black glass, which was cut and backed, with black-coated steel early last century when Whitby jet (an organic rock from coal) was banned.
The extra large faceted drop is offset by geo patterns of squares and triangles plus crescents. Crescent Moons during the Victorian Era represented spirituality, femininity, and new beginnings. It’s the oldest known symbol to man and dates to the second millennium BC. It grew in popularity during the Georgian and Victorian eras as it was associated with change and fresh starts, just as the phase of moon changes every night and starts over again every month. It makes sense to find this powerful symbol of change and transformation on a mourning pendant. They would have been worn by someone who had just lost someone dear or looking for a new beginning.
Value: Originals of these types are very scarce so good quality reproductions are popular and fetch high prices in their own right. Cheaper than Deco jewellery of the same period these quality pieces have limited availability. Every piece is remarkable, individual and is a one off.
History: The fashion for jet jewellery started in the 1800’s as mourning jewellery, when Queen Victoria wore a necklace to a banquet after the death of her cousin. Before long, jet (high-grade fossilised pine) was considered the only suitable material for mourning. By the end of the 19th century imitations of jet were being made in costume jewellery in Bohemia for French designers. (hence the name “French jet”)
This pendant comes in a gift box and is for the dreamers, the go-getters, and the style makers –
Length: 9cm pendant
French Jet
Black