W Hamond Museum Of Whitby Jet

Teaching our Gothic visitors, young and old about the fascinating history of the Whitby Jet industry 🖤 #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet

With Whitby Goth Weekend well underway, we thought we'd share some rather Gothic Roman Jet carvings with you. These medallions are both decorated with the heads of Medusa and were worn as an amulet to ward off evil. They were excavated in Germany and are made from German Jet. #museumofwhitbyjet

Some of todays Goths visiting the Museum, including a Jet Worker Goth! #whitbygothweekend #museumofwhitbyjet

A lovely selection of Victorian ladies novelties made from Whitby Jet, including two scent bottles, a nail file, an ornamental tennis racket with pearl and an ammonite inlaid thimble. #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet #whitbyjethistory

Proof if you needed it, that Whitby has always been a thriving tourist destination! #whitby #whitbyhistory

Decorative shell cameos, which were carved in Naples, Italy were a favourite of the Victorian jewellery box, and not one to miss out on a fashion trend, Whitby's jet workers soon began incorporating them into their designs. It was fashionable to wear Jet and shell cameos together in matching sets including necklaces, brooches, earrings and bracelets. These large Whitby Jet brooches are very fine examples of that trend, dating to the 1870's. #whitbyjet #jewelleryhistory #museumofwhitbyjet #whitbyjethistory

Happy April Fools Everyone!

This lovely young lady could have been a model for the Whitby Jet industry! She wears jet earrings, a floral jet brooch, a pair of bracelets and a jet Albert chain. #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet #jewelleryhistory

Just look at these beauties from our museum collection! This selection of gentleman's jewellery and trinkets includes (clockwise from top): three carved pipes, a stick pin, two compass charms, two pairs of cufflinks and a rare vesta case. The stunning design and detailed carving, most prevalent on the pipes means that these would have been the accessories of gentlemen privileged enough to afford them. #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet #jewelleryhistory

A lady sitting for her portrait in her 'widows weeds'. She wears a black dress made prodominantly from crepe; a dull, non-reflective fabric made from silk. Mourning ribbons also decorate the sleeves and she has accessorised her dress with a Whitby Jet tiered necklace, Jet brooch, earrings, Albert chain and a pair of bracelets. The whole outfit is finished with the widows' cap. #whitbyjet #mourningjewellery #jewelleryhistory #mourningdress #museumofwhitbyjet Photo: Museum of Whitby Jet collection.

One of the oldest Jet carvings known to man. This piece was found in Heubach in Baden Württemberg, Germany and dates back 15-10,000 BC. It depicts a carved ‘Botfly larva’ and would have been worn as a talisman by hunter gatherers to bring success in their hunting. #jetgemstone #jewelleryhistory #jethistory #museumofwhitbyjet

To be able to marry up pieces of Whitby Jet jewellery with the people who wore them is a great thing. It gives a better understanding of how the pieces were worn and who the buying customers were. These plaques, painted on porcelain, were bought in from Austria and generally had no affiliation with mourning, even when set in Whitby Jet, they were worn for fashion purposes alone, which this young lady demonstrates in her ruffled, soft pink dress. #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet #whitby

James Ainsley was a Jet worker living and working on Church Street at the industries height. We are very seldom lucky enough to find tangible and personal links back to the Jet workers themselves, but this lovely little brooch is just that! In 1868 Mr Ainsley made this lovely heart brooch, carved with a 'Greek key' border and further decorated with mother-of-pearl and paste stones. On the back it is engraved to his wife Isabel, who must have worn the brooch with such love and pride. A seperate Jet locket contains a picture of Mr. Ainsley himself. Both are on display at the Museum of Whitby Jet. #whitbyjet #museumofwhitbyjet #whitby #whitbyjethistory

We would like to say a special thanks to one of our star employees, William Hall! Will has taken it upon himself to help with the ongoing restorations at Wesley Hall, from completely gutting and repainting the cellar with help from his colleague Nathan Welham, to organising the outside spaces, and being Wesley's unofficial handyman! This guy really does care about the future and conservation of one of Church Street's most iconic buildings. Anyone who knows Will will know that he's born and bred Whitby, and has many happy memories of Wesley Hall. He would say that he's giving back to the building where he's had so many special family occasions over the years, but we just say hes the man that refuses to retire... we cant even tell him to slow down!

Unfortunately someone has stolen Wesley Hall's toilet pull...yes, you read that right...toilet pull. The sad individual with no respect for conservation must have gone in with a pair of pliers to remove it, as it was attached by a substantial metal chain! We’re actually really annoyed this has happened as this was part of the original 1901 fixtures and fittings of the building. We’d like to replace it with something as similar as possible, ideally of a similar age. It is made of pot and has the writing: “PULL AND LET GO” on it. If anyone knows where we might find one please let us know. Thanks in advance!

We had a great weekend teaching all about Whitby Jet in a dedicated course organised with the National Association of Jewellers. With students travelling as far afield as California, those who took part enjoyed learning about the gemstones history, a workshop on how to identify real Whitby Jet, a morning of beach combing and a hands on workshop session. Thank you all for coming, and we look forward to more courses to come! #whitbyjet #naj #jewelleryeducation #whitbyjeteducation #museumofwhitbyjet

We have an exciting Jet course coming up on the 8th & 9th March! If you would like to learn about Whitby's historic Jet Industry, how to identify Jet from its simulants and the process of making fine quality Jet jewellery then this two day event is a must! Check out the link for more details...

Our very own museum curator delivering a fascinating talk about Whitby Jet at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society! It was wonderful to see so many young people attending too, as education to our next generations is an important part of what we do. We are after all, 159 years old and still going strong! #tucsongemshow #whitbyjet #whitbyjeteducation #gemmology #whitby #whamond #museumofwhitbyjet #whitbyjetusa #tucson