How to use this tool
- Choose only clues you can observe safely without dismantling, scraping, heating, or applying chemicals.
- Review the ranked candidates and read the explanation for each selected clue.
- Use the linked museum guidance as a starting point and seek professional examination for valuable items.
How the result works
This guide ranks relative research clues, not statistical probabilities. Similar appearances, repairs, mixtures of materials, and later fittings can lead to misleading impressions.
Whitby Museum documents jet and common simulants and explicitly warns against hot-needle testing. For valuable or fragile jewellery, non-destructive professional examination is preferable to home testing.
Frequently asked questions
Can the guide confirm that a piece is genuine jet?No. It only ranks clues to guide research. Material confirmation requires suitable examination and may remain uncertain.
Should I try a hot needle or flame test?No. The guide intentionally excludes heat, flame, solvent, acid, scratch, and streak tests because they can injure people or damage an object.
Does brown fading prove vulcanite?No. It is a known clue for vulcanite/ebonite in some contexts, but colour can be affected by wear, repairs, surface treatments, and lighting.
Why does the tool ask about fittings?Fitting construction can be a clue, but fittings are often replaced or repaired and should not be treated as decisive evidence.
Where should I research jet and simulants?Start with Whitby Museum’s documented jet collection and FAQ, then compare a whole set of features rather than one clue.