Description
This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!
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Off the southern coast of Sicily, not far from the town of Sciacca, a new volcano rose up from the sea with a mighty roar in July 1831. Fishermen watched as the flames and clouds of ash caused the water to boil until an island formed out of the waves. No sooner had the eruption ended than a diplomatic tussle broke out: the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies claimed the island as natural territory and named it Ferdinandea, after its king Ferdinand II. Great Britain, on the other hand, saw it as Graham Island, while the French fleet called it Julia, and even Spain laid claim to it.
But nature could not be tamed. Just one year later, wind and waves had eroded the young island to such an extent that it sank back into the sea - only a shoal bears witness to its brief existence.
However, the story did not end with the disappearance of the island. The undersea eruptions and earthquakes had destroyed huge coral reefs and at the same time created one of the richest deposits in the Mediterranean. Over the decades, this material was transformed into a unique natural product: sub-fossil corals, whose storage in the water gave them the unmistakable salmon-colored shimmer for which they are still famous today.
This treasure was first discovered in 1875 through a legend: The fisherman Bettu Ammareddu lost his coral necklace - a gift from his lover - while working on the shoal. When he dived for it, he found the seabed littered with the rosy coral. This was the beginning of the mining process that turned Sciacca corals into coveted treasures within a few years. But as rich as the deposits were, they were considered exhausted in 1915.
So every piece of jewellery made from Sciacca coral not only carries the beauty of the Mediterranean, but also the memory of an island that only briefly emerged from the waves to leave behind a legend.
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Size & Details
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We want you to be 100% satisfied! For that reason, we examine, describe and photograph all of our jewellery with the utmost care.
You can rely on our years of experience in the trade and our expertise as a professional art historians for reviews of the antique jewellery. As a member of various trade organisations and the British Society of Jewellery Historians, we remain committed to the highest possible degree of accuracy. In our descriptions, we always also indicate any signs of age and defects and never hide them in our photos – this saves you from any unpleasant surprises when your package arrives.
Should you for some reason not be satisfied, please don’t hesitate to contact us so that we can find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within one month and we will refund the full purchase price.
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