In Italy, it is impossible to pass a jewelry store and not see red coral. I laughingly refer to it as Italy's birthstone. Everywhere you turn, you will encounter red coral necklaces, bracelets, earrings, cameos, etc - all in varying stages of finishing. Some are so smooth and round while others are left to their more organic shape. While we may think of red coral as a beautiful stone, it's actually a marine animal that hunts zooplankton for food. While red coral has been used for thousands of years, it was the Romans who took it to a new level. Thanks to the story of Perseus and Medusa, thousands of busts and cameos with beautiful women and Roman emperors were carved and can still be seen in museums today.
According to the myth, after Perseus beheaded Medusa, he sat her head down on a pile of seaweed by the ocean to wash his hands. Once the head was lifted, the blood left behind on the seaweed crystalized and became red coral. There are other theories that state blood dripping from Medusa's head turned into coral as Perseus walked through the water to his boat. Believing these stories, mothers began covering their children in coral. Small branches of raw coral were hung around the newborn babies’ necks and its powder was also used as a medicine to prevent typical ailments. After the birth of Christianity, coral was still used as an amulet related to children but now the focus was on cross-shaped branches, referring to the holy Cross, to ward against the Devil. Eventually, rosaries were introduced into the devotional practices. The Roman philosopher Pliny touted that coral could be counted on to protect the wearer from being struck by lightning and even could thwart would-be seducers whose advances may be unwelcome.
With such amazing benefits, who could resist red coral? Thus begins the negative part of this history: the overconsumption of coral. Boats called Corallines were used to collect coral and deliver them to their designation. The majority of this trade occurred between the Port of Naples and Torre del Greco. By 1600, the industry was so large that coral fishermen organized themselves into a trade association. They pulled specially designed nets tacked to a wooden cross-shaped frame and dragged along the ocean bottom to gather corals and sponges. Some Corallines even employed brave divers who could hold their breath long enough to select specimens by hand.
By the 1830s, roughly 1,800 corallines dredged up coral for the King of Naples. During that time, English nobles made Naples an obligatory stop, purchasing coral and ancient cameos by the dozens, thus creating large collections. The discovery of archeological sites like Pompeii and Herculaneum also fueled interest in anything small that could be kept as souvenirs such as engraved gemstones and cameos from the Roman period. Coral's increasing popularity and the dredging of the ocean floor almost wiped out the entire coral habitat. Restrictions had to be put in place. Now, the process of trolling for coral has been outlawed, and instead, only a small number of licensed scuba divers are now allowed to harvest red coral that meets a specific size requirement. However, the United Nations states that the scientific community has found that coral populations in the shallow water range, from the surface to a depth of 160 feet, have nearly vanished, and populations in deeper water are drastically reduced in comparison with those of previous decades.
I would use this in my craft in times when you might want a little extra protection. While red coral is stunning to see in real life and has such an amazing and ancient history, please be sure that you are purchasing second-hand or ethically sourced red coral. We all want future witches to be able to get some too!
https://lauramorelli.com/italian-coral-and-cameos-a-history/
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/22/fashion/jewelry-red-coral-torre-del-greco-italy.html
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