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Short "Corallo Sciacca" Necklace in Three Strands, circa 1900

€ 890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Short "Corallo Sciacca" Necklace in Three Strands, circa 1900

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

In July 1831, an undersea volcano erupted off the coast of Sciacca on the south coast of Sicily. Fishermen observed the explosions and were astonished to discover that the volcano had formed a new island. As soon as the eruptions ceased, a fierce dispute broke out over which country the new island should belong to. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies regarded it as a natural part of its territory and named it Ferninandea after its king, Ferdinand II. However, Great Britain also laid claim to the new territory, which was strategically located on important shipping routes, and named it Graham Island. The French fleet also claimed the island, which they called Julia, and Spain also laid claim to it. The dispute was finally settled by nature: by 1832, the waves had eroded the island to such an extent that it sank into the sea and was only preserved as a shoal. But what does this have to do with corals? The repeated undersea volcanic eruptions and numerous earthquakes had killed off large quantities of coral, which formed one of the richest deposits in the entire Mediterranean. These subfossil corals had taken on a salmon-coloured hue due to storage in the water, which makes them unmistakable. This marine treasure was discovered in 1875 and the coral soon began to be mined, but by the beginning of the 20th century the deposits were already exhausted. In this necklace, which is quite close to the neck, we see these special corals arranged in three rows. These are pearls from around 1900 with the characteristic salmon colour of the ‘Corallo Sciacca’. The strands are arranged in a gradient, i.e. they become thicker towards the centre. The necklace, which we have had re-mounted, is held by a renewed clasp made of gold-plated silver. A magnificent piece of jewellery with its very own history! Image: The Ferdinandea Island eruption by Camillo de Vito, detail, Guache, about 1831.

Size & Details

On to New Shores

€ 890.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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