JM's Jet Beads

[pigeonpie]

There was once a kit that JM sold that contained Jet. (An organic carbon-based stone, that is made from fossilised coal.) This is completely black, and has a subtle sheen. It is one of my favourites.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jet+jewellery&go=&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=jet+jewellery&sc=3-13&sp=-1&sk=

So, this first kit arrived (some of the stones were broken, careless delivery driver I think) and got used.


A few weeks later, JM release another kit, also purporting to contain Jet. However, the strand of beads they were calling "Jet" looked totally different to the Jet the first time. It was dark brown in colour, with white and cream bands encircling it. It had a hard shine, rather than a sheen. It resembled Black Agate.

I email JM, revealing my confusion. The way you can tell if Jet is real, is to rub the stone across an unglazed ceramic tile. The Jet tumblestones I have and the beads from the first kit all passed this test.

I didn't purchase the second kit, btw.

After a week, the "JM expert" emails me. She basically repeats back to me about the ceramic tile, and if jet is burnt, the flame is bright green. Ok then...

Well, that Bing search up there, shows that Jet is exclusively black! No stripes! JM don't sell Jet now...

 

[argeybargey]

Jet does come in dark brown and can be included with pyrite. I remember when JM first started selling it they described it as black amber, the dreadful Vicki Carr was doing her usual Oscar winning performance about how beautiful and rare it was and surely the price was wrong - blah, blah. Although it is occasionally called black amber by others, I'm sure this is done to make it sound like something better than it actually is. It was about this time that I started losing faith and interest in JM. I'd have been far more impressed if they'd obtained some Whitby Jet and supported the home market instead of all this cheap junk from China (ha-ha junk from China get it, get it?) Chinese gemstones generally can be obtained elsewhere for less and properly described rather than "Chinese Jade" when they don't know what it is. xx

 

[pigeonpie]

I knew it could be dark brown, and sometimes with Pyrite (but it's not white-banded).

But Amber is Amber, it comes in many colours. And correct me if I'm wrong, Amber is the sap of a tree and Jet is fossilised coal.

Whitby Jet would be great, used to live in North Yorkshire and it could be found on the beach!

Also, Jet isn''t easily made into round beads. Normally, they are irregular.

 

[Meeshoo]

I knew it could be dark brown, and sometimes with Pyrite (but it's not white-banded).

But Amber is Amber, it comes in many colours. And correct me if I'm wrong, Amber is the sap of a tree and Jet is fossilised coal.

Whitby Jet would be great, used to live in North Yorkshire and it could be found on the beach!

Also, Jet isn''t easily made into round beads. Normally, they are irregular.

Jet is commonly found in round beads.