Jet Beads

Jet beads provide lightweight gemstone beads in the perpetually popular color black! Also known as black amber, jet is a type of lignite coal (carbonized driftwood with a low to moderate hardness). Jet's extreme light weight makes these semiprecious beads ideal for large pieces of jewelry. Only clean jet with warm, soapy water. Jet has been mined since before recorded history, and jet amulets have been found in ancient European ruins. The Pueblo Indians were known to bury jet with their dead for protection in the afterlife. In the 16th century, jet was commonly used in rosary beads and the gemstone became fashionable again in Victorian England, where it was used in mourning jewelry. Many cultures still use jet for prayer beads and religious sculpture. This semiprecious gemstone has been thought to protect against illness and personal attacks. It's an important gemstone for the first chakra, and is thought to strengthen psychic awareness.