Apple Coral Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace and Earrings.

This pendant is an impressive and beautiful piece of hand made Sterling Silver jewelry. This one features a bold and gorgeous display of genuine Apple Coral. This Apple Coral has been perfectly hand cut to create large oval cabochons which have been set up against the brilliance of Sterling Silver. Non Indian made. Suspended from a complimentary chain, this pendant is 2-1/4" long. The matching French hook earrings are 1-5/8" long. Stamped Sterling. The matrix of the Apple Coral may vary. The photo is an excellent representation of the one of a kind hand made Pendant you'll receive.

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.