Don’t get me wrong, I love garnets, but I saw reference to jet being a birthstone for Capricorns and it got me thinking! And I do love to buy UK gemstones if I can so perhaps we could have jet as well?
The primary source of quality jet is North Yorkshire around the Whitby area, it can be found in some other areas of the world but here is some of the best. It is composed of fossilised trees from prehistoric times.
There is evidence that Whitby jet was traded around Britain in the Neolithic and Bronze ages. Jet and amber beads were found in a Neolithic Aberdeenshire site. Bronze Age Whitby jet jewellery has been found on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, Argyle in Scotland and Wiltshire in southern England. The jet was likely to have been prized for its magical powers.
In Roman times Pliny the Elder documented about jet in his book Natural History. The smoke from burning jet was inhaled for health reasons but he also said it was used to protect against witchcraft and had the power to repel serpents. Jet is lightweight and warm to the touch and can create static electricity when rubbed. This may have given rise to claims of magical and supernatural qualities that led to it being used as a protective amulet.
Pliny also said that jet was used in a type of divination called Axiomancy, which is divination using an axe. The axe head is heated until it is red hot, the jet is placed on it and a yes or no question is asked. If the jet does not burn, what you wished for, the yes answer, comes true. The smoke patterns from burning jet were used to predict the future.
Romano-British jet jewellery was flat backed with carved reliefs on the front, jet is soft to carve. A carved Medusa pendant is in the Yorkshire museum, Medusa represents life after death. Pendants in this style have also been found with images of clasped hands, families and a kissing couple.
Jet was also found amongst grave goods, protecting the deceased in the afterlife.
In the early Middle Ages the English monk known as the Venerable Bede noted that jet is “black and sparkling, glittering at the fire and when heated drives away serpents”.
Jet was used in powdered form to clean teeth, relieve gout and help childbirth. It was also used at this time in ecclesiastical jewellery and rosary beads.
In Medieval times jet is mentioned in Bald’s Leechcraft as medicine but also used as an amulet against lightening, snake bites, witchcraft, elves and enchantments.
In the early nineteenth century jet was still associated with magic and protection. Witch-posts were in use in villages around Whitby, in 1804 a jet cross was nailed to a witch post to ward off evil spirits after a witch was evicted from her home. Witching posts were used to hold items that would protect the home from evil.
Whitby jet became big industry for the area in Victorian times especially when Queen Victoria was mourning the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, and she would only wear black clothing and jet jewellery. Mourning jewellery became fashionable and the black colour of jet was associated with mourning and grief. Mourning jewellery was frequently left unpolished as it was believed shiny surfaces could reflect images of the dead. Some jewellery pieces were lockets containing locks of hair and photographs and served as Momento Mori.
It was at this industrious time of jet mourning jewellery that Bram Stoker was in Whitby researching for his Dracula book and some of the story was set here.
The increase in travel with railways also contributed to a boom in the jet industry for Whitby due to increased visitors and holiday makers.
Unfortunately Whitby jet was running out and an influx of cheap imported jet alongside synthetic jet brought the industry to a sudden end.
Fake jet is sometimes made from coal or glass and other gemstones that may be confused for jet include obsidian, onyx, black tourmaline, shungite and black amber.
How can you tell if it really is jet?
- It’s warm to the touch, glass and stone are cold.
- Leaves a brown streak if rubbed on unglazed porcelain or emery paper.
- Poking with a red hot needle gives a smell of burning coal.
- Imitations may have fading or moulded edges.
Today jet is purchased in Whitby as a holiday memento and as fashion jewellery for the Goth culture aesthetic which Whitby has also become well known for.
In modern times jet has also been given metaphysical attributes including; absorbing negative energy, aiding in grief, boosting psychic abilities, providing grounding, energetic protection, being calming and cultivating courage, strength and determination.
It is considered protective, believed to shield the wearer from negative energy and harmful influences. It has been used for spiritual defense in amulets, talismans and jewellery.
The stone that was once used to ward off witches has become popular with many modern witches and pagans.
In chakra balancing it is associated with the root or base chakra for breaking negative behaviour patterns and sometimes the third eye for boosting psychic abilities.
As a birthstone, jet is aligned with Capricorn and January birthdays, its grounding and protective properties tie in with Capricorn’s affinity for stability and security.
How to use jet magically:
- Wear it as jewellery
- Hold during meditation to increase intuition
- Use in rituals for grief, remembrance, healing and emotional release
- Use a jet scrying mirror to help access the subconscious
If you are lucky enough to own some jet, it can be cleaned with mild soapy water and the shine can be restored by rubbing over a drop of baby oil on a piece of cotton wool.
References accessed 10.12.2025
https://english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/hiistory-of-jrt-jewellery
https://www.whitby-jet-jewellery.com/what-is-whitby-jet
https://fiercelynxdesigns.com/blogs/articles/what-is-jet-crystal-meaning-healing-properties
https://thewhitbyguide.co.uk/magical-properties-of-whitby-jet
https://whatiswhitbyjet.com/2020/08/22/magical-properties-of-whitby-jet
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