Georgian Coral Bead Drapery Necklace

A fantastic antique Georgian Grand Tour coral drapery necklace. This gorgeous necklace is strung with small Mediterranean Coral or ‘corallum rubrum’ beads of a fantastic orange-red colour. This is a special type of coral which grows deep in the waters of the Mediterranean. Likely a grand tour souvenir from Naples, the ancient centre of the coral industry in Italy, this necklace is crafted with a drapery effect with three looping sections beautiful hand-carved corals. If you look at the carefully at the close-up shots, you can see the meticulously fashioned linear hand-carvings on each bead.

The elegant drapery shape exemplifies the predominant form worn during the period which accommodated the 19th century preference for low necklines, leaving a visual gap to be filled by a statement pendant. The necklace has a clever silver metal barrel clasp, on one side the string it has been manually tied to secure it to the clasp. Although it appears sturdy and the necklace is ready to wear, please bear in mind it may need a restring at some future point.

Coral jewelry has been worn as an amulet of protection against ailments and danger since ancient Rome. They believed coral had talismanic properties and hung branches of it around their children's necks to safeguard them from danger. This is an example of coral jewelry which was marketed to English people to purchase as souvenirs on “The Grand Tour.” This was an essential undertaking for any English man of the nobility beginning in the 1700s. During the 18th century, museums weren’t yet a thing in England, so people had to travel abroad to see art and sculpture and absorb European culture.

Necklace length : 39cm or 15” (short)

Weight : 9.08g