3mm x 5mm to 5mm x 17mm Mediterranean Coral Branch Beads 16 inch Long Strand.

These 6mm Mediterranean Coral Bead Strands are the perfect thing to stock up on your jewelry stringing supplies. These sensational strands feature gorgeous branch beads of genuine Mediterranean Coral. These hand cut, free form branch beads can range anywhere in size from 3mm by 5mm to 5mm by 17mm This delightful Coral comes to us off the Italian coast. Each Coral bead offers up plenty of natural beauty with its swirl of natural hot red shades. They would look great on your beaded necklaces and chokers. They'd even do well on tennis bracelets. Let your imagination run wild. Each strand of this Coral is 16" long. And, you can order more than one, you can get as many strands as you want while supplies last.

There are four types of precious coral in Hawaii: black coral (Antipathidae), gold coral (Parazoanthidae), red or pink coral (Corallidae) and bamboo coral. Each of these has a different internal composition. Red and pink corals produce a calcite skeleton similar in hardness to ivory and pearls. Bamboo corals, on the other hand, produce a skeleton composed partially of calcite and partially of protein that is similar to the keratin in your fingernails. These alternating bands of material resemble a bamboo stalk; thus the corals' name. In Hawaii, black corals are found in 100-300 ft. of water, shallow enough to harvest using scuba equipment. Many harvesters, however, have died in pursuit of coral trees at the deep end of this range. Red, gold and bamboo coral are found between 1,000 and 1,500 ft; so harvesting is conducted with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or submarines.