Precious Red Coral: Help to ID (& Certify) my Trove?

The big one is ~6½" x ~1⅛"; it's 356 grams. The drilled 'fingers' range from ~1½" to ~3" long, and ~½" in diameter. The 23 gang-strung fingers are 250 grams; almost 11 grams each. The 4 individuals are ~64 grams total, ~16 grams each. They all appear to have been polished (perhaps by tumbling); they look and feel un-waxed.

These pieces were an inheritance...I have only this further provenance: they were acquired in the late 1950's in Europe by an Aunt, my mother's sister, Marie. They came to me upon her death in the late 1980's, and were accepted as just red coral within the family; there was no Certification nor other documentation with them.

I have tested several of the fingers with Acetone and a Q-tip, without a hint of color transfer. In addition, I immersed one of them overnight in Acetone, with a piece of white coffee filter beneath the sample: Zero color in the Acetone, nor on the filter paper. The large piece was also Q-tip tested, with the same negative result.

I believe, based on the forgoing tests and some web research, that these are all Corallium rubrum, Precious Red Coral. But I'm not competent to state that with any certainty.

I want to list these on eBay, but wonder if formal Certification would enhance their value by enough to warrant the expense...and I have no idea where to even begin to find a Certification provider.

Whatever suggestions and comments you may offer will be promptly and
gratefully acknowledged! I need your help...

Thanks for looking! Warren

 

I have never heard of a way to document or certify a piece of coral......





they look to me like Red Chili Corals.....

and while yours are nice......unless u have a bill of sale.....u have no provenance ....only family history.......

 

Those are really nice...and the similarity to chili peppers isn't lost on me! Yes, provenance has prove as a basis...and I cannot prove anything about these. Thanks for the fine pics!! Warren

 

the rubrum type is mostly found around Sardinia. after the Sicilian type "Sciacca" disappeared already around WWI, these here are protected to some extent, but still sold by licenced outlets especially on Sardinia and the westcoast. the rules became stricter - diameter of fingers, registration of harvest weight, taken off by divers only below 50 meters, brought on land in a few ports only etc..
in the 1950s nobody cared too much, but I'd have a look for the legislation anyways before listing them. or you may ask a jeweller if he's interested.

 

Y'know...I hadn't thought about restrictions on Coral, and should have given the global reef crisis. There is plenty of Precious Coral listed on eBay...and of the few listings I have read, not one of them mention anything about selling or shipping restrictions.

I'll do my due-diligence, and see what I can find. Thank you sincerely, Fid! Warren

 

sadly, the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is rather ineffective as a tool on a worldwide level. look at countries like Japan that still allow whale-killing...
in Italy the problem is of course the shtroonzes from the jewelry industry and some criminals...
in countries like Switzerland there is no interest in such regulations at all because it doesn't pay dividends and they have no sea...
in France there are rules formulated , but is there someone surveying them ?
so all in all the normal hoolabaloo of international organisations.
best is you concentrate on your country's rules for selling. good luck.

 

This has all features of dyed bamboo coral...
https://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/134433nb
https://www.firemountaingems.com/itemdetails/134433nb