Angel Skin Coral what to look for

[currada]

I purchased an angel skin coral bead necklace. I was not really sure what to look for besides size and weight. Anyone know what to be looking for on color of the beads that would make one more or less valuable? I know origin such as Mediterranean plays a big part in value but mostly looking for what color is most desirable since I will be buying an estate piece and won't be able to confirm origin prior to buying. Thanks

 

[currada]

I didn't get any responses to my questions on angel skin coral. But thought I would post what I ended up purchasing. I'm still unsure on what most would consider the best color to look for but I kind of like the splashes of pink through out the beads. I was told it was an older piece but the beads seem to symmetrical for them to be hand cut maybe someone could tell by the clasp?

 

[yssie]

That looks like a dramatic piece!

Okay, so I don't know how much of this is hokey as I haven't spoken to any reputable authorities, but I've read that old beads often have flattened ends by the holes, and patina (as opposed to high polish) doesn't reduce their value. Some inclusions and crazing (slight surface cracking you might see) is pretty normal, but the beads should be sound - not actually cracked through. The larger and more uniform the colour the more valuable the beads, but I personally prefer the very patchy pink/white ones It's best to store w/ a cup of water nearby to keep the air most and prevent further cracking/crazing.


I saved this snippet from a Ruby Lane listing when I was on a coral kick some months ago:

"We have seen confusion around the world and other sites as to the naming of coral colors. The primary colors of precious coral are red, oxblood red, salmon (peach), pink, angelskin, white, blush and everything in between. We tend to follow the designations of the fine Italian coral artisans, as they are the best in the world (as is their coral). All are Mediterranean and red is known as Sardinian, oxblood is more purplish red and usually also Sardinian, SOLID salmon or dark peachy pink is Sciacca, and SOLID pink is angelskin. This last one deviates from the origin of the name angelskin, which refers to the more white color with a uniform pink hue (like the skin of an angel). We also consider this to be angelskin as most of the world does (except the Italians, who call it pink coral). I have emphasized Solid above because this is the very finest coral in the world and the colors are very, very uniform. They may have a little black (crevasses) or white spots (veins) but are in general very uniform in color and the variances assure you the coral is undyed and natural. The degree of there uniformity is a grading consideration similar to how diamonds might be graded as to color. These SOLID colors (Sardinian, Sciacca, Angelskin) along with SOLID white (Ionian Sea and VERY, VERY rare as the lack of light to achieve pigmentation is only found at extreme depths) are the most precious and valuable corals in the world. Blush and other variations can also be precious coral (primarily if they are Mediterranean), although not quite as valuable as solid colors, but still investment grade, durable and beautiful. Black coral is becoming more popular and the finest grades are being found in the South Seas (Hawaii) and the Caribbean. It is less dense, but very pretty and unusual. Corals from other regions may be classified gem quality, but very rarely reach precious grade and should be much, much less expensive and valuable. Unless you are looking for non-investment grade, costume coral jewelry, avoid coral described as gemstone quality (AAA, AA, A, etc), sponge, apple, root, brain, Batti, dyed, treated, crushed, reconstituted etc.

Coral beads go up in value exponentially with bead size. I can no longer find quotes for 14mm beads as the Italians no longer offer them and 15mm are basically out of the question. And this necklace has many more beads closer to 15 than 14mm. I do know that a 12mm angelskin coral bead is priced at 1.7 times that of a 10 mm. Past experience was that a 14mm costs 3.5 times that of a 12mm. The large size and extremely high quality of this coral make this a very, very rare and coveted piece of jewelry.

Coral beads are graded based on size, color and weight (density), trading by the GRAM. This Mediterranean angelskin coral is no longer available for harvesting, being part of the ban that was imposed in the 1970's."

 

[currada]

Ysse - Thanks for the informative post. I would like to find out the age of the piece I was told Art Deco by the seller but not sure if that is correct. I'm not fond of the flat ended hand cut beads so it's probably best that I didn't go too old.