Sardinian Coral. Gemstone Coral has been harvested off the coasts of Sicily and Sardinia in the east Mediterranean Sea since antiquity; it was a valuable export item to southern India some seven hundred years before the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Gemstone Coral has always been prized for its colour, ranging from faint pinks to deep reds, brought about by its production of the same sort of pigment that gives carrot its colour; it has also always been prized for its durability, for its colour is permanent and seems not to dissipate even after hundreds of years removed from its sea bed. ( A personal note here from Christopher William, who has worn an old Silver and Coral ring, of Swat Valley origin, on and off for decades, has on at least two occasions markedly scratched the Coral’s surface, and found that with continued wear the scratch simply wore away, disappeared. )
Sardinian Coral is a protected gemstone, with only thirty fishermen licensed for its harvesting, though there would definitely be illegal operators about. The above Sardinian Coral was purchased from a reputable supplier at the Hong Kong Jewellery Fair.
The eardrops handcrafted in Sydney in Silver and solid 9ct Gold, especially for the Coral gemstone and its attendant fine little half Pearls, the Coral settings worked in Silver, everything else, half Pearl settings, top ring and earhooks, in 9ct Gold.
Note: the sweet little half-spheres of fine half Pearls, so useful when creating unique items such as the above earrings, are very tricky little gemstones to source, often not available, period, and when available, costly