Underwater Treasure
Beautiful, red coral, a living sculpture that has captivated both men and women since antiquity – from the warriors of Gaul who ornamented their weapons and helmets, to Roman children who wore branches hung around their necks to keep them from harm – has been harvested almost to extinction. Coral was especially popular in the Victorian age, but nowhere more so than in the Far East, travelling from the source in the Mediterranean Sea – the Italians were specialists in working it up into jewellery components.
Portrait of a Girl, Domenico Ghirlandaio c1485
Paulina, first wife of Sir Codrington Edmund Carrington; Thomas Lawrence, c1806Prized for the skeletal branches and its rich reddish pink hue, coral can be polished from the naturally matte branches to a glassy shine. Due to its relative softness, it is usually carved or used to make beads. Today coral beads are made of non-precious sponge coral, with branches made from bamboo coral. Both are dyed red.
Rare coral Bacchante cameo necklace, circa 1860
Pair of Italian hand carved vintage coral cameos set in 14k gold bezel and wire. The profiles depict the goddess Hera, wearing a tiara, and the goddess Ceres wearing ears of wheat on her head.
My two vintage necklaces are Berber, made from coral-like beads. They probably aren’t precious, given that the rest of the beads are composed merely of brass – I bargained hard for them in Fez though. I also saw the most incredible antique Berber necklace in Essaouira, a coastal town in Morocco, that dropped more than two feet (seriously!) and was composed of branch coral. The antique seller’s asking price? Over £1000.
My red ring is carved jade from Vietnam; the blue ring on my middle finger is lapis lazuli and sterling silver that I made myself; and the second glass and sterling silver ring is a copy of a 1920s Rhoda Wager piece.
To see more breathtaking antique coral jewellery, check out this Pinterest page.
This picture was inspired by a wonderful under-the-sea 1933 Vogue by the illustrator Benito (below). For censorship reasons the fish in the foreground was positioned to prevent a birthday suit malfunction.
