This is the first year of The Whole Bead Show in Oakland. It's always enjoyable to visit with bead friends! 5 strands of lovely Italian coral, 3mm and 4mm made it home with me, as well as a 6 foot strand of antique North American traded small white and white heart Venetian drawn beads, 4 - 5mm. The fire in Butte county has made the air quality unsafe, so being indoors at the bead show was a good way to spend most of the day. The sun was an orange fireball in the sky...

Ones that are very wearable just the same. Here are the N. American traded whites and whitehearts and the 4mm Italian coral beads. Trying to figure out the iphone for pictures.

Good choice!. Thank you Joyce.
I don't know how it is in the US, but Mediterrean coral in Europe fetches high prices especially the older smooth beads without wormholes from the Moroccan and Yemen jewelry. Some ask ridiculous prices for very small beads.
Lately I see more and more the Dutch traditional(from Zeeland,Friesland)coral necklaces on auctions. They often have intricate goldclasps and that does not help the price. Not all but some have typical flattened ends, and larger diameter than they are thick and are referred to as 'cheeses' - since they look like a big Cheese wheel.
I love those beads, but alas not in my collection.
This Lady from West-Friesland has a great specimen.

Thanks Martine, I love the Dutch lady's coral! Yes, it's price has steadily risen and I don't think it will ever fall at this point. In Tucson 2013, we saw it surpass gold in price...I'll forever treasure what little I have and reminisce about the prices in 2000 - 2003! The little rounds were not something I went there looking for, yet an estate liquidator had them and just wanted to move them along, I had my loupe and carefully went through the group, very pleased with the deal. As I'm aging, I like wearing more small beads anyway.

I'm told that the super-high prices for gem-quality red coral have dropped this past year. It's no longer $50. per gram. But, of course, still pricy.

I have handled some very nice coral beads over the past few years, and when offered for sale, there was almost no interest, because the color was not red-enough. But still, very nice old beads, and good sized.

(Anyone who knows me, knows coral is my favorite bead material, and one of my specialties.)

JDA.

Love both of these! But especially the coral rounds, gorgeous!