You never know what you can find at some gemstone shops. From my last trip to my local store I discovered JET stone for my jewelry! I've got a couple of friends who LOVES bold jewelry. They like big stones. I was really very surprised when I took 2 of this Jet stones. The size of the stones is around 35x22mm but oh gosh, you wouldn't believe how light are they. Perfect for earring wich I already posted as my new listing at MyWayToSay shop.
Jet (also known as gagate) is fossilized coal. It is a hard, lightweight lustrous black stone that was used in mourning jewelry during the Victorian era (especially after Queen Victoria's husband died in 1861 and she went into long period of mourning, greatly affecting jewelry fashion). Jet is frequently cabochon cut. Most jet is from Whitby, England; jet has been mined near Whitby (on the Yorkshire coast of England) since prehistoric times. It is also found in Spain, France, Germany, and Russia, but these other sources are said to be inferior to the harder, more elastic Whitby jet. Jet has a hardness of 2.5-4 (quite soft) and a specific gravity of 1.30-1.35 (it is relatively lightweight). Jet leaves a brown streak. When burnt with a red-hot needle, jet smells like coal. Black glass and plastics are often used to imitate jet (glass is much heavier and harder than jet) - jet is warm to the touch.
