Featured Help with vintage coral bead necklace

Thanks for all that great info AJ !! I'm beginning to think that I could spot coral if I ever found any .. at least know what to look for. My Aunty gave me a coral necklace years ago .. I don't know what happened to it, it is a truly beautiful gem .. thanks so much AJ and Bronwen for sharing your wealth of knowledge, Joy.

 

Pleasure as always, Joy.

I hope you still have it, hiding away somewhere. If you find it, will you let us know? We have quite a few members now who know their old and antique coral. If you have trouble uploading photos, maybe someone can help you.

 

As usual, AJ, a wonderful writing and explanations
Personnally I love the most the salmon color for coral, deep red always seems artificial to me, even if not, and the angelskin is way too pale for my taste.
I'd certainly keep this beauty forever
And for the value risking to be zero one day... the investment was only 11$

 

So do I. Although I like angelskin as well, but it looks best combined with pink gold, slightly more yellowish than true rose gold. I know, I am being colour finicky.

 

It was given to me when I was about 10yrs old, it went missing a few months later. I think I know, and have always known what happened to it, and I forgive her for doing it .. things were hard to come by way back then .. I never questioned her. Just a memory from the past .. Joy.

 

That is sad, I am sorry that happened.

 

Thank you AJ, It was so very long ago. She was a loving person .. I adored her. I still have a ring that my Aunty gave me .. a sterling silver filigree design with a large dark red carnelean stone in it, it's definately a womans ring but it's HUGE .. way too big for my fingers .. pretty though and probably antique .. Joy.
I must get to bed, it's 3:45 in the morning here .. Nite .. Joy.

 

Sweet dreams.

 

I'm not sure how my last post appeared as an attachment to Any Jewelry's message -- that's not what I intended, so I'll try again:
Any Jewelry, I'm amazed at your depth of knowledge about coral beads/jewelry and very much appreciate your taking the time to share it. I also appreciate your advice about keeping the necklace and letting the value increase. Now I want to find a bigger, more special box for it so I can include a printed copy of your information. Thank you again!!!

 

Pleasure, of course. I love antique coral and have had a lot of exposure to it, here in the Netherlands coral jewellery is part of most regional costumes.
I posted this one before in another thread, all Dutch traditional jewellery:

That is wonderful. And you can take it out of the box from time to time to marvel at its beauty.

 

I appreciate your comments kyratango. It's not that I'm concerned about losing the $11, but I must confess my only reasons for buying things like this are (1) to re-sell now to supplement my retirement income, (2) to hold onto if they're things that I think will increase significantly in value and I can easily sell for future financial needs, or (3) save for my daughter to inherit and sell. I appreciate beautiful antique/vintage jewelry, enjoy the thrill of the hunt and learning about my finds, but neither my daughter or I wear jewelry, and I don't keep any of it out where I can even see it -- it's really just there to sell some day when either I or my daughter have a financial need -- provided a tornado doesn't hit and blow it all away in the meantime. (I'm really not that pessimistic.)

 

Gorgeous!!!

 

Joan, I now fully understand your concern about the value could be zero one day
If it is not the matter of keeping it for your enjoyment only, safest solution is to sell it for a good amount now, or as AJ said keep it waiting for increasing value... but all that is about speculation, nothing certain for the ban

 

What to do...what to do...maybe for now I'll put it in my safe deposit box where I keep a few other extra-special finds. I just saw a similar necklace on ebay (102 grams, 90 cm) that sold for $3750. My necklace is 88 grams and 138 cm, so the beads are smaller and the color looks a little more "salmony" -- I'm wondering if buyers/collectors are more impressed by weight or by the color of the beads and the overall length of a necklace (with other factors being similar).

 

Bigger coral beads are more valuable because thick coral is more rare. It takes longer for coral to grow that big.
It all depends on your situation. If you feel you need the money now, sell it. Determine your price, or make sure you put a reserve price on it.

 

Thank you again AJ. Good advice.

 

While I think it is possible that there will eventually be some kind of restrictions on trade in Med red coral, it is not currently officially listed as endangered, so this would not be for some time yet. When the time comes, think any regulations will be similar to those for ivory, that material harvested 'pre-ban' will be lawful, so one course for you would be to document as well as you can that you are in possession of it as of this date, then set it aside, with the documentation, & wait for what appears to be an inevitable rise in value.

For the environmental view & the fashion/collectible view, see these articles.

 

This is mainly to tease kyratango. The cameo is close to 2 inches in height, so has to have come from quite a large branch of coral.

 

OH my !! That is GORGEOUS !!! .. Joy.