Southwest Zuni Jet Pendant Earring Set

This Southwest set has a Southwest pendant and a pair of Southwest post earrings. These fine pieces feature beautiful southwestern inlaid gods eye designs made from hand cut stones of genuine Sleeping Beauty Turquoise, Pearl, Jet, and Coral. These gemstones have been set against the brilliance of shimmering Sterling Silver. Suspended from a complimentary chain, the Southwest pendant is 1" long. The Southwest post earrings are 3/4" long.

Jet: Jet is a product of high pressure decomposition of wood from millions of years ago, commonly the wood of trees of the Araucariaceae family. Jet is found in two forms, hard and soft. Hard jet is the result of the carbon compression and salt water; soft jet is the result of the carbon compression and fresh water. Jet is easily polished and is used in manufacturing jewelery, according to the Whitby Museum, dating from 10,000 BC in parts of contemporary Germany. The oldest jet jewelery was found in Asturias, Spain, dating from 17,000 BC. Jet as a gem material was highly popular during the reign of Queen Victoria, during which the Queen wore Whitby jet as part of her mourning dress. Jet was popular for mourning jewelry in the 19th century because of its sombre color and modest appearance, and it has been traditionally fashioned into rosaries for monks. In the United States, long necklaces of jet beads were very popular during the 1920s, or Roaring Twenties, when women and young flappers would wear multiple strands of jet beads stretching from the neckline to the waistline. In these necklaces, the jet was strung using heavy cotton thread; small knots were made on either side of each bead to keep the beads spaced evenly, much in the same way that fine pearl necklaces are made. Jet has also been known as black amber, as it may induce an electric charge like that of amber when rubbed. Powdered jet added to water or wine was believed to have medicinal powers.