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JET
Jet is an opaque black mineral that is warm to the touch. Made of fossilized wood of an ancient species of conifer similar to the Monkey-puzzle tree. It was used in mourning jewellery during the Victorian era (especially after Queen Victoria's husband died in 1861 and she went into long period of mourning, greatly affecting jewellery fashion). Jet is frequently cabochon cut. Most Victorian jet is from Whitby on the Yorkshire coast of England where it has been mined since prehistoric times. It is also found in Spain, France, Germany, and Russia. Jet leaves a brown streak when scratched on a hard surface and smells like coal when burnt with a red-hot needle.
Hardness 0.5 to 2.5