Victorian Coral teardrops of the finest orange-pink, a Coral gemstone colour much appreciated in an era -the latter part of the 1800s into the early 1900s- that witnessed a great explosion in the popularity of this lovely organic gemstone from the waters of the Mediterranean.
The sources of Victorian Coral were the waters off the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia. It became a very organized business, the cutting and polishing of the Coral branches executed in workshops in towns on the mainland of southern Italy, generally in the forms and sets requested by English middle-men with knowledge and contacts in the trade in the U.K., and orders to fulfill, who spent time every year in the south of Italy on this business.

The two exquisite teardrops above were taken from a Victorian Silver necklace, and still have attached their Silver ring fittings.
Though the columns from which the Corals drop are solid hand-worked 18ct Gold, the Italian safety clip earhooks are in 9ct Gold. So, interestingly enough, there are three metals in this unique pair: Silver, 18ct Gold and 9ct Gold. (To replace the Italian 9ct Gold safety clip earhooks with exactly the same in 18ct Gold would add $190.00 to the cost.)