Dark Rose : Antique Whitby Jet Torpedo Earrings

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Absolutely stunning antique Whitby jet drop and dangle earrings with gold ear wires and chains. This pair of earrings were undoubtedly made as mourning jewellery, but they are so beautiful and classic they look chic and contemporary. As they are so unusual I haven’t been able to confidently circa date them. Its possible they might have been made anywhere from the late Georgian Era (1820s) to the early Art Deco period (1920s) but I suspect they are early Victorian Era pieces.

The earrings feature carved Whitby jet roses attached to long gold hooks, with a length of gold chain leading to shapely torpedo drops of matte Whitby jet. While much Whitby jet jewellery is polished to a high finish, jewellery made for the early stages of mourning (when wearing jewellery was allowed) was matte black. The roses are also symbolic when used in mourning jewellery – a rose in full bloom signifies that the deceased died in the prime of their life.

The earrings are in lovely antique condition – there are no chips or damage to any of the jet pieces, although it appears that one of the gold backs to the earrings may have been  repaired in the distant past. The gold sections all measure in different low carats (around 9ct) according to xrf tests – a good indication that these were made before standardised lower gold carats; ie the early 1800s.

The entire earring drop from the top of the wire to the bottom of the torpedo is 70.6mm.
The roses have a diameter of approx. 9.5mm and the torpedo drops are 40.65mm long and 7.93mm wide.
The earrings weigh 4.3 grams for the pair.

In delicious antique condition, ready for immediate and everyday wear.

Description

Absolutely stunning antique Whitby jet drop and dangle earrings with gold ear wires and chains. This pair of earrings were undoubtedly made as mourning jewellery, but they are so unusual I haven’t been able to confidently circa date them. Its possible they might have been made anywhere from the late Georgian Era (1820s) to the early Art Deco period (1920s) but I suspect they are early Victorian Era pieces.

The earrings feature carved Whitby jet roses attached to long gold hooks, with a length of gold chain leading to shapely torpedo drops of matte Whitby jet. The earrings are in lovely antique condition – there are no chips or damage to any of the jet pieces, although it appears that one of the gold backs to the earrings may have been  repaired in the distant past. The gold sections all measure in different low carats (around 9ct) according to xrf tests – a good indication that these were made before standardised lower gold carats; ie the early 1800s.

The entire earring drop from the top of the wire to the bottom of the torpedo is 70.6mm.
The roses have a diameter of approx. 9.5mm and the torpedo drops are 40.65mm long and 7.93mm wide.
The earrings weigh 4.3 grams for the pair.

In delicious antique condition, ready for immediate and everyday wear.