The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-11-07
ABOUT CORAL JEWELRY.
TWENTY YEARS AGO WOMEN
n THOUGHT IT BEAUTIFUL.
Will They Think So Again. Rose Coral
Sold for Many Times Its Weight
In Gold, but IL brings Lit
tie Now.

IL Is hard TO tell what makes this
thing a la mode, and puts that thing
entirely without the pale. In this
country neither queen nor princess
sets the fashion. but almost instructive
ly women take up one thing and drop
another just as II thnt part OF them
which is devoted to the love OF fnery
were constructed on mechanical prin-
ciples and reeled of changes at regular
intervals.
One OF the articles OF adornment
which has been consigned to dark
corner Is coral. Coral Is just as pretty
rs IL ever was, but few dare wear it.
1t has qualities which should recon-
mend 1t more than most stones; it is
not expensive in comparison with
many and 1t can be fashioned into
elaborate shapes.
1t Is twenty years since coral was
fashionable. The time may be near
at hand when 1t will be received back
into popularity. not In the form in
which 1t last made its appearance =
that is. not in the huge breastplates
and long, dangling earrings that were
once thought to be so beautiful. but in
the simpler shapes that please the
taste ut the present time.
Until there Is o call for it the Jew
elers will be very shy OF investing in
coral The report now Is that the
small stock on hand represents just so
much money wasted. Occasionally a
man buys a set of coral studs, or a
collector selects unique necklace.
A possible purchaser Of coral Is the
actress who either desires to carry out
the traditions OF the dress OF some
particular character or to mako dis
play of jewelry; which the brilliant
color OF coral helps her to do. Those
who buy find one great advantage in
this depression in the coral market
the trinkets can be had for half the
prices for which they were sold some
years ago.
1t may be that the production of
imitation coral aided in the downfall
OF the real stone, although nothing
Is more meager and unsatisfactory
than this spurious article.
The most beautiful specimens of ex-
quisite real coral are shaded. There
is something in the way the red is
absorbed in the pink and the pink
softens into white these delicacie. of
coloring being brought out in tiny
rose leaves and other floral forms
The red or precious coral is flshed
up from the bottom OF the Mediter-
ranean sea, but other species have
he ~
chusetts. and Connecticut The coral
islands Of the Pacific and the Bermuda
islands form happy hunting grounds
for marine curiosities
1t Is not generally known that coral
Is found in a variety OF colors. The
black coral is the most rare of any,
but the real rose pink is that OF great
est value. In the days when coral
jewelry was fashionable. coral was
carried to the Paris and London mar
kets from the Mediterranean and hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars were in
vested in it annually. 1t has been sold
for twenty-five times its own weight in
gold. II the pieces were more than a
few inches in length the value was
augmented. One known specimen is
twelve inches long. Coral Is sold by
the ounce or pennyweight The cut
ting is done best in Naples and it may
almost be taken for granted that the
good pieces OF Jewelry were all done
by Neapolitan works. The polishing
is done with the filings Of the stone.
As pieces Of coral are even now worn
in simple form and jewelers. occasion
ally have orders to break up the old
fashioned sets for the sake OF one or
two extraordinarily beautiful cuttings
which they contain. says the Kansas
City Journal. it would seem that by
the adaptation OF the old pieces to
modern taste there might be a revival
OF coral jewelry.