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Wonderful Three Row Necklace From "Corallo Sciacca", Around 1900

€ 1,490.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Wonderful Three Row Necklace From "Corallo Sciacca", Around 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!

Corals from the Mediterranean Sea come in different shades of colour. Depending on the region, the depth of the sea and the growing conditions, the marine animals develop specific colour nuances, such as the deep red Sardegna corals that are fished around the island of Sardinia. Sicily provides a special coral colour and the history of these marine treasures is extremely exciting: In July of 1831, an undersea volcano erupted off the town of Sciacca, located on the southern coast of Sicily. Fishermen observed the explosions and were astonished to discover that the volcano had formed a new island. Immediately when the eruptions ended, 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, Britain also claimed the new land, 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: in 1832, the waves had already 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 submarine volcanic eruptions and numerous earthquakes had caused large amounts of corals to die, which formed one of the richest deposits in the entire Mediterranean. These subfossil corals had taken on a salmon hue from storage in the water that made them unmistakable. Discovered in 1875, this marine treasure was soon exploited, but by 1915 the deposits had been completely exhausted. In this necklace we see these special corals arranged in three rows. They are pearls from around 1900 with the characteristic salmon tone that makes the "Corallo Sciacca" so desirable. The strands are arranged in a progression, which means they get thicker towards the middle. The necklace, which we have had restrung, is held by its original clasp made of gold-plated tombac. A magnificent piece of jewellery with a history all of its own! Illustration: Ferdinandea Island eruption by Camillo de Vito, detail, Guache, circa 1831.

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Genuine Italian Mediterranean corals still inspire today with their wonderfully rich play of colours with a pronounced wealth of variations. From the creamy white of the Adriatic coral to the delicate pink of the angel's skin coral or Pelle d'Angelo to beautiful light and dark salmon red shades to the strong dark red colour known as oxblood or Moro coral, this wonderful natural material is characterized by the most beautiful colours of nature that the sea can produce. For centuries an integral part of princely and later also bourgeois art chambers, coral jewellery, especially from the region around the Bay of Naples, enjoyed unprecedented popularity, particularly in the 19th century. The stocks of some coral species, which are now under strict protection, as well as the demand for natural corals, which has increased dramatically in recent years, make coral jewellery a sought-after treasure today more than ever. Only antique pieces or corals from old stock come onto the market today - the quantity is therefore limited and finite.

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Size & Details

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€ 1,490.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Our Promise

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 trader 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 begin to find a solution together. In any case, you can return any article within 30 days and we will refund the full purchase price.

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