Jet black
This wood has been flattened and carbonised (turned into almost pure carbon). All its internal detail has been lost, leaving a black, shiny, jet-like material. Indeed, the famous Whitby Jet is fossilised wood preserved in just the same way. The difference is that the jet from the Dorset coast crumbles and breaks and is therefore no good for jewellery. The expression ‘jet black’ comes from fossil jet.
