The Welshman had already shown he thrives under pressure by knocking out Judd Trump 6-3 in Saturday's semi-final, and he backed that up by outplaying a four-time world champion when it mattered most.
The final was locked at 5-5 before Jones took over, winning five of the last six frames to lift the Clive Everton Trophy and the £100,000 top prize.
Selby, who had won 27 of his previous 39 ranking finals, had to settle for the runner-up cheque of £45,000, his class in the deciding stages undone by an opponent who refused to blink.
It continues a remarkable start to the season for the 33-year-old from Cwmbran, who won his first ranking title in July at the Championship League.
The victory lifts him from 31st to 22nd in the Johnstone's Paint World Rankings and up to third on the one-year list, a stark jump for a player who spent so long on the fringes of the top 32.
Jones was a precocious junior, winning the European Under-19 Championship back in 2010, but his path to the top table has been anything but instant.
He has needed the years since to build the game and the temperament to go with the talent, and last year's run to the World Championship final, eventually lost to Kyren Wilson, showed just how far he had come.
Jones is no longer just capable of an occasional big result - he is now a genuine threat in any field, and snooker's landscape looks a little different for it.