What is a Whitby jet?

Answer 1

During the Jurassic period, over a 180 million years ago, when the Whitby area was covered in warm tropical waters, and the river deltas brought down the fallen Monkey-Puzzletrees from further inland, they came and rested on the sea floor. Over the millions of years, when sand and mud rested on the top, they were compressed and fossilised.

Over time when the land formations shifted and this material came to the surface as Whitby Jet, seams were found along the North Yorkshire Coast. Much of the Whitby Jet was found on the sea shore, but larger seams were found in the rock cliffs resulting in the introduction of many jet mines along the coast from Staithes to Robin Hoods's Bay.

Whitby Jet, because it is, in fact, from wood, is lightweight and soft, and easily carved into Jet Jewellery. Jewellery has been carved from Whitby Jet, from as long ago as the Bronze Age. The Romans too, made use of it as decoration and adornment, as Whitby Jet can be found in Roman excavations in York.