Featured Black glass necklace

I nearly walked straight past this necklace in a charity shop because it’s so shiny I thought it was plastic. It’s glass.
The clasp stopped me as it seemed quite old. My question is if the clasp and necklace are of the same age? Does the clasp fit in with the style?
The main part of the necklace has definitely been restrung from the end of the metal loops. Someone has done a reasonably professional job on it and I’m hoping it’s not a replacement clasp from an older necklace. What do you think?
Thankyou

 

It is an older style clasp & looks a bit feeble for what I imagine the weight of the necklace to be if glass (not jet?) but could be original. Really interesting piece. Probably would have grabbed it myself.

 

French jet, clasp is early 20th.

 

It’s surprisingly light weight but test as glass. Agree though, I don’t think I’d wear it without a back up plan.

 

Thankyou
When were these clasps used from/until?

 

No idea, but it's Victorian/Edwardian.

 

I would have totally snagged that (or passed it as plastic, lol).

 

It's possible not all elements are the same material; could be a mix of glass & jet or jet simulants.

 

Tube box clasp are still made today,yours looks older though.

 

What are jet stimulants made of?

Better edit that quick!. Stupid auto correct Simulants SIMULANTS!

 

That push in looks of the older type. I can't quite describe it, but they got flatter and less solid later on. Chain is early, too. If you want to wear it, I'd buy one of those wee safety chains with a ring clasp each end.

Stimulants. The simulants I know are basically glass. You could test each shape of bead on some unglazed porcelain, see if it smears brownish balck.

 

I don't really see evidence of any parts being faux jet, but gutta percha & proprietary substances such as Vulcanite used to be used to mimic jet. They tend to go brown with age, & I'm not seeing that. Actual jet can take a very high polish, but is light in weight for its size & does not feel quite as cold to the touch as stone or glass. I suspect the spherical beads are glass but other shapes are not. You say it is surprisingly light, which suggests not all parts are glass.

 

What are jet simulants made of?

Its definitely not brown. Very black and much shinier than in the photo.
That's interesting about not being as cold as I definitely noticed that when I picked it up and thought 'Is it plastic?', tapped it against my teeth, chinks nicely and not as cold as some stone.
You may be right about the spherical beads being different to the rest as if I put them against my top lip (weird I know) they are colder than the shaped beads.

 

This site has a good page.
From their description as well as yours it does sound like jet.
I must go and get a white tile. At least I don't need to sit in a darkened closet to do that test. I had to dive behind a rack of clothes to surreptitiously chink it against my teeth in the shop,didn't want the assistant to think I was mad and hope I didn't get some nasty bug from dirty jewellery!

Help if I posted the link!
https://jewellerymuse.wordpress.com...jewellery-materials-from-amber-to-whitby-jet/

 

I don't have any jet jewellery such as a bracelet or necklace, but do have a couple of cameos that are in jet settings & they really could pass for hard plastic. When I bought the first one, after receiving it I asked English seller if they were sure about its being jet. They assured me they had lots of experience with jet & it definitely was. The ivory cameo mounted in jet was auctioned as Celluloid & really sounds like it when tapped with a fingernail, but definitely ivory & jet. What you describe is consistent, so jet can't be ruled out.

 

There's also just the general style of it:

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...lAhUGyFkKHVUyCDgQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1600&bih=764

 

My new aim will be to look for jewellery that looks and weighs like black plastic and chinks like glass!.
Unless you have it in your hand it's difficult to know exactly what it should feel like but it's ticking all the boxes you describe so I will know what to look for in future.

 

Get the lid off the loo cistern and test it!

 

Or the unglazed bottom of a ceramic lasagna dish

 

That too.