Re: soft red corals, some raw some lacquered
Re: soft red corals, some raw some lacquered -- birdi Post Reply Edit Forum Where am I?
Posted by: Shukgirl Mail author
12/02/2009, 22:53:11

Hi, Birdi!
As a lover & collector of old coral, I hope I can help you with your questions.
I believe Beadman is spot on with all of his points.
All of your coral looks to date from the 1960s (at the earliest) to the present.
The only one that might be older and more valuable is the red branch necklace that might be natural, Mediterranean/Italian blood coral.
Your shiny, round, blush-colored coral is probably from Hawaii or Japan.
Many beads in this color range are also reconstituted coral dust that's left over from carving coral branches into beads. The dust is collected and mixed with binders and molded into beads.
I've seen your "apple coral" and your "blue coral" also referred to as "sponge coral".
Your white branches are very "spikey" and sharp, which usually means it is of recent vintage...not old.
Unfortunately, all of the coral you've shown (except perhaps the red branch necklace) is extremely common and generally commands very low prices. (<$10. each)
You can get a very good idea of the value of different types of coral by doing a quick search of the jewelry category on eBay.
Best of luck!



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