Victorian Turquoise Eyed Jet Snake Bracelet

Regular price $750.00

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This coiled snake bracelet was once part of a Victorian mourning ensemble. In the earliest stages of mourning, only black clothing and jewelry were permitted, making jet—a deep black mineraloid formed from fossilized monkey-puzzle tree wood—the perfect material. Mined in Whitby, Yorkshire, jet was a Victorian favorite until the mines were depleted. The Whitby jet in this bracelet dates back 182 million years to the Jurassic period. Composed of faceted jet beads and set with buggy turquoise eyes, this serpent is both a symbol of eternity and a striking relic of mourning fashion.

MATERIALS: Whitby jet, 2mm turquoise cabochons, elastic cord

AGE: c. 1870

CONDITION: Very good

SIZE: 7" inner circumference, 1 3/8" at the widest point