Perhaps most famous for the exquisite carved cameos so prevalent during the Victorian era, coral jewelry actually has its roots in prehistory. Although there are many varieties of coral worldwide, that found off the southern coast of the Bay of Naples near the town of Torre del Greco (near the ancient remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum) is most revered. The following text discusses various types of coral jewelry from both the past and present. Torre del Greco is perhaps the best known center for the coral industry, but as the coral becomes increasingly difficult to find in the area, the town is no longer the center it used to be in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries when it employed thousands of workers carving coral and manufacturing the exquisite coral beads. Torre del Greco is famous for red coral which is most prized—not only for its lovely coloring, but also for its durability. The Romans and earlier Etruscans held coral in high regard attributing healing and protective qualities to it. Red coral is also treasured by Native American jewelry crafters. Several southwestern tribes thought that coral worn by a woman would give her greater powers of fertility. Red coral is often paired with settings of turquoise to create beautiful inlaid silver jewelry. Because a lengthy branch of coral may take upwards of two hundred years to develop, it’s no wonder that the modern methods of fishing for coral have left former rich sites virtually bare. While coral can still be found from Morocco to Tunisia, much of it comes today from the Orient. As in the past, coral is still used to fashion cameos, pendants, bracelets, pins, etc…Of course, it takes considerable preparation and skill to transform raw coral into a jewel. Harvesting, polishing, carving, drilling are some of the stages required to make coral into jewelry. There are other colors and varieties of coral used to make jewelry. Various kinds of coral are found throughout the world. Of course, there is a variety of simulated coral jewelry as well that is quite inexpensive compared to the real thing. Coral has also been copied in glass by many bead manufacturers as genuine coral beads are extremely expensive due to the difficulty of creating them. Branch coral, which is real coral, but allowed to remain more naturalistic, is popularly used in jewelry and is much less expensive than more traditional coral jewelry. Antique coral jewelry typically fetches high prices at auctions. It is just as treasured by collectors as pearls, amber and jet. Jewelry artisans may still craft with red coral taking care to build supply cost into their price for the finished piece. |