[Jewelry making - Article 00026] - Re: [Orchid] Coral Beads

[Ken Ferrell]

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    Joyce: Unfortunately most if not all coral beads that size would be
    dyed black coral or possibly white, Traditionally Red coral comes
    from the warm Mediterranean sea, Beads the size you describe would be
    worth upwards of 25.00 per carat, and would have to be very old
    indeed. Most of the coral that has been on the market in the past few
    years has been dyed, especially the larger pieces such as you
    describe I have bought several quite large carvings that unless one
    is familiar with coral would not be noticed as dyed material, in the
    mid 1970s Mediterranean red Coral, was available that had base
    diameters in excess of 3/4 inch and then the branches would be nice
    cutting also, I have seen a piece of Red Coral that has not been dyed
    and the entire branch (Actually more like a giant redwood tree) is
    over 24 inches tall and the base is over an inch in diameter, and
    weights in at 3.5 LBs. With the currently harvested coral (good red
    coral is now nearly extinct) the largest I have been able to get hold
    of is 3/8ths inch or there about and sometimes as long as 3 inches of
    which 60% is really useable and this material is between 1,100.00 and
    1,600.00 per pound Nice huge dyed pieces (which do look very nice and
    does have white and black spots in places) at .25 per gram or 120.00
    a pound, should be several tons at Tucson 

Kenneth Ferrell
www.shadras.com


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