This is a Japanese precious angel skin Boké pink (Momo-iro) coral all-knotted necklace featuring vintage large irregular shaped coral beads.
Natural color, untreated not dyed.
This is a one-of-a-kind necklace, the only one like this I have seen in my collecting life.
Each bead is made from a slice of a coral branch with a white core, carved and polished mostly by hand, so that every bead has a slightly different shape.
The color is Angel skin pink with white coral core showing in some places, which is the proof of Japanese Pink Momo coral.
Depending on how the coral is trimmed, the white core may show through as stripes, round or other patterns. You can appreciate the variety of natural color patterns on different beads.
Japanese pink coral has a wide color range, from pale pink to reddish pink like persimmon pink.
Unified pale pink is called “Boké” meaning blurred or muted color in Japanese,
because compared to reddish pink, it is a muted color.
Japanese coral was first found in the 19th century. Until then Japan had imported Mediterranean coral from Europe though the Silk Road.
From the Meiji era (1868-1912) Japan started exporting coral to Europe. Japanese pale pink coral came to be called Angel Skin Coral and became highly valued in Europe.
In the jewelry world today “Angel skin coral” is used to mean pale pink coral, including Japanese pink (Momo-iro) coral and deep sea coral. But they are different species.
In the 19th century there was no technology to harvest deep sea coral, but since about the mid-20th century deep sea coral has been harvested at over 1000m in depth. Momo-iro Angel skin unified color coral is more than 10 times more expensive than deep sea coral. But today, jewelers sometimes use the term “Angel skin” for any unified pale pink color coral harvested in the Pacific Ocean region, including deep sea coral. This is what I understand based on my research.
I use the term “Angel skin” for a unified pale pink color of untreated Japanese coral.
I also state what species the coral is in the description, such as deep sea coral, pink (Momo-iro) coral, red coral (Japanese red coral or Italian red coral), or white coral.
They are all different species.
The coral beads of this necklace are pink (Momo-iro) coral, one of the most desired kinds.
This necklace was sold about 50 years ago, and I have re-polished and re-strung it with a new solid 14K gold clasp.
It is getting more and more difficult to find Momo-iro coral beads, especially of a large size like this.
Boké coral is more rare and expensive than blood red coral in Japan.
Necklace beads size: about 7x10-18x14mm
Necklace length:57cm
Weight: about 77g
Solid 14K gold clasp
Please keep in mind that the coral beads of this necklace have natural imperfections such as small holes, and black inclusions such as rocks or sand that coral incorporates as it grows. I have taken pictures of the most noticeable ones.
About certificates of authenticity for Akoya pearls and corals:
Based on my own experience,
I guarantee that all corals and pearls in my shop are genuine Japanese untreated coral and Akoya pearls (unless my descriptions say otherwise).
But if you would like to have a certificate, I can send the item to a gemologist and get the certificate. It will take two weeks and will cost US$50-$80
About my coral products
My column series “Beads Around the World” was published.
This time I wrote about Japanese coral, which is used for jewelry. Japanese coral has been famous around the world and has been exported, similarly to Japanese cultured pearls. But its history started only about two hundred years ago, when a fisherman found coral in his net. Until then we did not know there was jewel coral around us.
Jewel coral has been highly admired throughout history. It was carried by merchants through the Silk Road from the Mediterranean sea for thousands ofyears.
Now Japanese deep sea corals are endangered species and need protection from illegal fishing and over-harvesting.
All my coral products are recycled from old jewelry made around 1960-1990’s, when coral was not endangered. I always intend to deal with coral only in ways that are environment-friendly and sustainable.
