Victorian Whitby Jet Torpedo Earrings
"The rose has been the emblem for love since the earliest times - the birth of Venus was accompanied by white roses; the medieval poem The Romance of the Rose guided the court of the lover to the garden of the rose, where he found paradise - but the Victorians indulged in its symbolism and sentiment like no other, with a repertoire broad enough to express love in all its many guises.
The floral language of the rose needed to be carefully studied before any move could be made. The stronger the affection, the deeper the colour to match: a white rose for a young maiden (a pink flush at its heart in her girlish blush) through to crimson for a message of passionate love. Yellow was rarely considered a good colour in the language of flowers, and was used therefore to denote infidelity. In the rose's budding and blooming is a parallel with the transitory state of young womanhood and the ephemerality of love itself; so, the tender rosebud for a girl but the full-blown bloom for a woman whose beauty is at its zenith. The path of love from its first stirrings to its mature, sensual pleasures and the end of the affair - all permutations could be covered."* And with the symbolic rose immortalised into jet-black, shimmering monoliths - like it is in these Victorian torpedo earrings earrings - that love can transcend the mortal coil; a black rose that continues to shine long after death does them part.
Striking Victorian torpedo earrings with long, carved pieces of Whitby jet fashioned after an, admittedly highly abstracted, rose. The jet-black stones have been polished to high shine; hanging from finely grooved silver tops with engraved striations clearly designed to continue the grooves at the tops of the jet. The petals of the flower form the bottom of each earring, with various leaf motifs continuing up their length.
Jet is a type of fossilised wood, approximately 180 million years old, from the monkey puzzle tree. It's light and easy to carve, which made it a popular choice for large-scale mourning jewellery like this, and, following the death of Albert in 1861, demand skyrocketed as Queen Victorian entered a period of mourning that lasted for the rest of her life (famously wearing only black). The majority of the jet used in Victorian morning jeweller was mined in Whitby, Yorkshire.
*The Language of Flowers: A Miscellany by Mandy Kirkby (2011)
Era: Victorian, circa 1870
Size: 7.8cm by 1.2cm
Stone: Whitby Jet
Marks: Ear wires stamped 925
Condition: Great antique condition, the silver tops and ear wires are potentially later additions. The jet is in good condition with a few minor chips
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
Shipping
UPS Express shipping is free of charge on international orders over £300 and it's carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
US Shipments
US Customs charges a 10% "Reciprocal Tariff" on all parcels coming in from the UK.
We will pay this charge on your behalf (via UPS or Royal Mail) and you will see it collected as a line item at checkout.
[Last updated: August 29th, 2025]
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
25% deposit taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff or scrape is quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
Buying a Gift?
Leave a note at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note to the recipient. Just tell us what you'd like to say :)
More Questions?
Get in touch... There's a live chat at the bottom right of the page.
info@lostowl.com