Jet is a type of lignite, a precursor to coal, and is considered to be a minor gemstone. It is not considered to be a true mineral, but rather a mineraloid as it has an organic origin, being derived from decaying wood under extreme pressure.
It is either black or dark brown and occasionally contains pyrite inclusions. The adjective "jet black," meaning as black as possible, is derived from this material.
Jet is a product of high pressure decomposition of wood from millions of years ago, commonly the wood of trees of the family Araucariacae. (We have some of this petrified wood listed on Amazon.com) Jet is found in two forms, hard and soft. Hard jet is the result of the carbon compression and saltwater; soft jet is the result of the carbon compression and fresh water.
The jet found at Whitby, in England, is of Early Jurassic age, approximately 182 million years old. I do not know, but I assume our Mongolian Jet is comparable in age. Whitby Jet is the fossilized wood from species similar to the extant Chile pine or Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana).
During the Roman rein, jet was quite popular as a magic stone. It was used in jewelry and said to protect one from the "evil eye." During Victorian times it was used mainly for jewelry. Anyone who has read historical or gothic novels remembers the many references to jet beads, I'm sure. It was still popular during the Roaring Twenties, when women / flappers wore strands of jet beads that reached from neckline to waist. It has been traditionally popular as rosaries for monks and mourning beads. It has been known as black amber, as it may induce an electric charge like that of amber when rubbed. Now days, however, black amber is actually a dark amber that comes from Indonesia. We carry it in several sizes of rough and you can find it under the Tumbling Rock tab.
Jet has a hardness of 2.5 to 4. It's easy to carve but difficult to carve with a lot of detail.
The microstructure of jet, which strongly resembles the original wood, can be seen under 120× or greater magnification. .
I found this information on Wikipedia. There's quite a bit more available if you want to check it out. I found it very interesting for what I thought to be a simple black stone, so thought I would share ....
Metaphysically, Known as a stone of good luck, Jet makes a great gift for the person starting a new job or beginning a new business pursuit. Jet can bring clarity to a confusing situation by bringing unique insights from variant perspectives. Those who are struggling through multiple trials and tribulations will appreciate Jet's supportive energies. Working almost like an energetic filter, it is a wonderful grounding stone that has intense purification and protection properties. It is known for clearing the aura of impure energies and is an important stone for the medicine bag. Jet can be used to cleanse other crystals by placing them in a bowl with several smaller pieces of Jet and can be helpful for those experiencing an overabundance of negative energies or emotions, and has traditionally been used as a stone to alleviate grief.
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