Brooch
PeriodCirca 1860 - 1880
Place MadePossibly New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumJet, gold, seed pearls
Dimensions2 × 1.38 in. (5.1 × 3.5 cm)
ClassificationsAccessories, Women's
Credit LineMuseum Collection
Object number1996.500
DescriptionA woman's brooch, with a smooth-surfaced jet panel set within a gold oval frame. A band of graduated seed pearls in gold ornaments the center of the oval jet panel, while faceted jet chips alternating with gold balls form a frame around the oval. Three pendant jet teardrop panels, set in gold, dangle from the bottom of the brooch. On the back, a simple hinged safety bar pin fastens the pin to the wearer's garment.Curatorial RemarksJet is a form of fossilized coal and was popular in jewelry and adornments as early as the Stone Age. Jet can be polished relatively easily to a high shine, and could also be intricately carved into a variety of beads, panels, and shapes. Large deposits of good-quality jet were discovered in Whitby, England, which became the center for Great Britain's jet production. Ancient Romans were particularly fond of jet beads and ornaments, considering the black mineraloid to be a lucky charm or amulet, able to ward of snakes and hysteria. In the 19th century, jet experienced a surge of popularlity partcularly in the making of mourning jewelry. Although much jet jewelry was imported to the American colonies during the 18th century, by the early 19th century, American jewelers were able to successfully compete with their English counterparts in producing stylish jet jewelry. Jewelry-making centers including Newark, New Jersey, were known for the high quality of their products, which included jet brooches, pins, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. According to a newspaper article which appeared in Boston's Saturday Even Gazette in March of 1876, "Jet, relieved with gold and pearls, is fashionable for second mourning." After the death of a loved one, particularly a husband or child, women who could do so adopted mourning dress, wearing entirely black garments from head to toe. Jewelry could not be brightly colored or flashy, and jet jewelry was the perfect choice for such personal adornments. This particular brooch would have been worn at the neck, usually to keep a decorative lace collar or ribbon in place.
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