Cute Antique Brooch Made of Salmon-Colored "Sciacca" Coral, c. 1890

Sea Blossom

Cute Antique Brooch Made of Salmon-Colored "Sciacca" Coral, c. 1890

€ 169.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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 considered it 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 it 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 the corals we see on this brooch? Submarine volcanic eruptions and earthquakes such as the one in 1831 had repeatedly killed off corals in this region over the course of thousands of years, eventually forming one of the richest deposits in the entire Mediterranean! These subfossil corals had taken on a salmon-colored hue through storage in the water, which made them unmistakable. This marine treasure was discovered in 1875 and soon the coral began to be mined, but just as quickly, in 1915, the deposits were completely exhausted. This small brooch is made from these same Mediterranean corals, which have been cut into buttons of different sizes. They are grouped together to form a flower that shimmers in a slightly pale shade of salmon. All the corals are mounted in silver. This piece of jewellery was created around 1890 and came to us here in Berlin.

Size & Details

Sea Blossom

€ 169.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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