A CORAL, SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND NECKLACE

A CORAL, SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND NECKLACE
Comprising thirty-six round Sardinian coral beads, enhanced by the pavé-set brilliant-cut diamond and sapphire clasp, mounted in 18K white gold, corals measuring approximately 14.25 to 13.40 mm, length 54.00 cm


The historical CITES paperwork for this lot is not available and it will not be possible to obtain a CITES export permit to ship this item outside Hong Kong after the sale. Please refer to the IMPORTANT NOTICE at the back of the catalogue


Coral has been used as adornment and jewelry for more than 30,000 years. It comes in an array of colors such as white, red, orange, blue, as well as black and gold. Amongst all the colors, red has historically been the most expensive and desired. The finest red coral is often referred as ‘ox blood’ in the trade. According to Greek mythology, Medusa, a monstrous woman with venomous snakes for hair and turned those who looked into her eyes into stone, and was slain by Perseus. When he set Medusa’s head on the sand, her blood turned the seaweed into coral. During the Victorian era, coral beads were worn to ward off evil spirits and provide good luck. Cultures around the world have long believed coral could bring the wearer health, happiness, wisdom and success.


Coral was originally found and harvested in the Mediterranean Sea. Sardinian coral from the north-west of the Mediterranean Sea has been venerated for centuries. Sadly, overfishing and environment pollution has resulted in enormous production fall and endangering the species. The United Nation must restrict the sales of red and pink coral. Red coral harvesting in Sardinia has also been regulated by regional laws since 1979, including a minimum harvest size of 10 mm basal diameter, a maximum harvest weight of 2.50 kg per dive per day and an imposition of a fishing period. To acquire exceptional quality of the slow-growing coral from Sardinia is more challenging than ever. 


Lot 2391, showcases the most desirable characteristics of Sardinian coral with exuberant color and thirty-six coral beads of uniform color and sizes from 14.25 to 13.40 mm, further attribute to the scarcity and uniqueness of this necklace.