he treasures of the sea have always fascinated people. In addition to pearls, corals often inspired goldsmiths and stonecutters to create a wide range of combinations mostly due to their unique colour. Whether as a necklace, earring or a brooch – discover our jewellery made of real Italian coral from the Mediterranean second to none in colour and quality.
Coral from the Mediterranean, corallium rubrum, was the only form known in Europe for many centuries and as such the only one used in jewellery-making. Large, polished coral pearls can be seen in Renaissance portraits of aristocratic women as well as in Baroque rosaries. Even at the beginning of the last century, short chains made of coral were given to teething toddlers, as they were said to be able to repel evil. In the 19th century, jewellery made of coral and engraved cameos were promoted as a beloved souvenir of the Grand Tour.
The fine structure and incomparably intense colour of the Mediterranean coral makes it the most popular and highest quality coral species, even after the discovery of further coral deposits in the Far East. However, corals from the Mediterranean also differ greatly in the nuance and intensity of their colour. The classic red colour is also known commercially as Sardegna, after the island off which some of the most important coral deposits in the Mediterranean lie. Sardegna corals are still fished today, albeit to a limited extent in order to conserve stocks.
The stocks of Sciacca coral, on the other hand, are now completely exhausted. It was only discovered off the south-west coast of Sicily in 1875. Its discovery triggered a veritable coral boom throughout Europe, as a result of which the jewellery industry of Torre del Greco near Naples, which still exists today, was established. This slightly lighter-coloured coral, sometimes tending slightly towards orange, is the typical coral of the late 19th century and has a charm all of its own.
Finally, we also offer jewellery made from Pacific precious coral. These were imported to Italy in the late 19th century and processed there, meaning that coral from the Far East can also be found in antique jewellery. The best known of these is the pale pink angel's skin coral, or pelle d'angelo, which is still fished off Taiwan today.
