“Red Gold” From the Mediterranean

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN ITALY

SCHOLARS at one time could not agree on whether it was a vegetable or a mineral. Its vivid color has long fascinated admirers. Through the centuries, it has been used as an ornament, an art medium, a talisman, a medicine, and even as money. Today it is mainly used in the production of jewelry. What is it? Red coral from the Mediterranean​—so precious that it is dubbed red gold.

Exactly what is red coral? How and where does it form? What methods have been used to collect it? How has it been worked in the past? And how is it worked today?

Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?

Ancient naturalists described Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum), how it was gathered, and its uses. That it is the skeletal remains of an organism in the animal kingdom, as indeed is all coral, was generally not understood until the 18th century. What might appear to be flowers on a miniature tree are actually the tentacles of living creatures​—colonies of polyps. The branches, reaching a length of some 10 to 12 inches [25-30 cm], are solid calcareous deposits secreted by whole colonies of these organisms to protect themselves. Each branch is of uniform coloration, but several different shades of red can be identified. Red coral will grow on any solid surface​—a rock, a shipwreck, or even an ancient cannonball—​down to a depth of 800 feet [250 m], but it needs calm unpolluted seas of relatively high salinity and a water temperature oscillating between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit [10 and 29° C]. It is found in the Mediterranean waters of Albania, Algeria, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, and Yugoslavia and in the Atlantic waters off Cape Verde and Morocco. Estimated growth rates for young colonies range from two sixteenths to five sixteenths of an inch [4-8 mm] per year in length and about one sixteenth of an inch [1.5 mm] per year in diameter.

 Valued Since Ancient Times

Archaeological evidence shows that coral has long been prized, worked, and traded. At first, man likely did no more than gather branches that were washed up on Mediterranean beaches. Red coral fragments, probably used as amulets, have been found in ancient tombs in Switzerland. It was included among the jewels of a Sumerian deity. Egyptians valued it highly. Ancient Jews set coral alongside silver and choice gold for value. (Proverbs 8:10, 11; Lamentations 4:7) And the Celts too attributed great worth to it, decorating their arms and horses’ bridles with it.

Roman naturalist Pliny reports that in the first century C.E., red coral was gathered in the Gulf of Lions, along the west coast of the Italian peninsula, and around Sicily. Colonies were pulled away in nets or cut with sharp iron tools. Back then, the coral was considered a remedy for fever, kidney stones, and eye complaints. It was also thought to protect its owners from typhoons and lightning.

By the tenth century C.E., North African Arabs had invented a device for gathering coral​—a large diagonal cross, the beams of which measured between 13 and 16 feet [4 and 5 m] in length. It was weighted with a heavy stone and had groups of nets, some 30 feet [8 m] long, hanging from its center and extremities. The device was lowered from a boat onto coral-bearing bottoms and was dragged across them. Branches of coral were broken, became entangled in the nets, and were retrieved when the device was hauled back to the surface. Variations of this gear and method were used up until just a few years ago, when fears that they  were damaging the seabed and marine fauna led to their being banned in favor of divers. In theory, divers can be more selective and less destructive, but in practice, some have proved capable of completely stripping the seabed of coral.

A Traditional Italian Craft

Ancient Roman craftsmen produced amulets, beads for necklaces, and sculptures representing subjects from mythology and nature. By the 12th century, there was a flourishing export trade in beads, buttons, and other objects between Genoa and Constantinople and various Mediterranean ports. In Marco Polo’s time (13th century), Mediterranean coral was in demand in India and Indochina, and Arab merchants took it as far as China.

Trapani, Naples, and Genoa, among other cities, produced huge quantities of smooth-surfaced ornaments. Outstanding during the so-called Mannerism and baroque periods (from the 16th to the 18th century) were the products of Trapani, where small coral shapes, applied to wooden or gilded metallic surfaces, embellished all manner of objects​—jewel boxes, trays, picture frames, mirrors, and church ornaments. Elaborate nativity scenes were sculptured in coral, and thousands of tiny coral beads were sown on precious clothes and altar hangings. Especially during the 19th century, a vast array of personal ornaments in all styles and forms were produced​—jewelry sets, tiaras, earrings, pendants, necklaces, cameos, brooches, and bracelets carved into flowers, leaves, animals, and designs of classical inspiration.

The town of Torre del Greco, on the Bay of Naples, Italy, specializes in the processing of red coral. In fact, the town processes an estimated 90 percent of all red coral collected worldwide. Here, skilled artisans use circular saws to cut coral branches into segments. Some are machine worked to produce spherical beads. Others are handmilled to specific shapes and sizes, polished, and mounted in settings for rings, earrings, and other items. Half to three quarters of the raw material is lost or discarded during the production process, and this is one of the reasons that finished coral jewelry costs more per gram than gold jewelry.

The industry has seen moments of glory and the amassing of great fortunes. Sadly, says the book Il Corallo Rosso (Red Coral), it has also attracted individuals “dominated by the desire for quick and easy profits,” capable of exploiting banks of coral “to the point of destruction.” Concern for the future of this coral and the industry that depends upon it has moved interested parties to recommend rational resource management. Although not considered a species in danger of extinction, branches large enough to be used by jewelers are increasingly difficult to find. Today raw materials for Italian coral jewelry also come from the Pacific. Different species are collected around Japan and Taiwan, at a depth of some 1,000 feet [320 m], using even minisubmarines and remote-controlled robots. One thousand three hundred miles [2,000 km] off Hawaii, precious corals grow as deep as 5,000 feet [1,500 m].

Stunning coral jewelry and sculptures testify to the skill of artisans who have contributed to this remarkable tradition. And for people who appreciate the handiwork of our Creator, Mediterranean “red gold” is an example of his countless provisions for man’s delight.​—Psalm 135:3, 6.

[Picture on page 16]

19th-century necklace made up of 75,000 coral beads

[Credit Line]

Per gentile concessione del Museo Liverino, Torre del Greco

[Picture on page 17]

Live coral

[Pictures on page 18]

Tiara

17th-century chalice

Jewelry set

[Credit Line]

All pictures: Per gentile concessione del Museo Liverino, Torre del Greco

[Picture Credit Line on page 17]

Per gentile concessione del Museo Liverino, Torre del Greco