Inlaid Apple Coral Sterling Silver Pendant.

This Inlaid Apple Coral Silver Jewelry Pendant is a breathtaking piece of hand made Indian inspired jewelry. This one comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico and it's high in fashion and quality. This pendant features some beautifully hand crafted inlay work. Hand cut stones of genuine Apple Coral deliver their beautiful hot colors to this pendant. These Apple Coral stones have been inlaid together into unique and simple patterns in shimmering Sterling Silver. The Sterling Silver features a traditional lost wax design. Suspended from a complimentary chain, this Sterling Silver pendant is 1-1/4" long.

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.