Coral will be the subject of a Tuesday tea-in-the-garden talk this summer, tentatively scheduled for June 26th, and I (David) will share here just a bit of the insights that I have been gathering. I was relieved to learn that the red and pink coral used in jewelry does not come from coral reefs like the Florida Keys, which are so environmentally sensitive that we are instructed not to touch them. A major source of red coral is deep water reefs off the coasts of Italy. Harvesting, exporting and importing of coral are carefully controlled, but there is concern that the long-term supply of coral may be dwindling. However, one Sicilian coral bank is divided into ten sections, one of which is harvested each year and at the end of the decade the first bank yeilds full-sized stock.

Our website features a coral bracelet top and several necklaces with coral. We have more in the shops and will have lots more for the tea talk.

Click for details, ordering and larger photo of the Coral Brooch