Featured Am I Angelskin coral?

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by Marko, May 9, 2021.

  1. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    Well, this is a mystery. The clasp, which I thought was brass, is goldwashed 800 silver. The beads look like Angelskin coral to me (they are coral), but they are strung on plastic thread. I have a feeling the old thread broke, and they were redone on plastic. Does it look like Angelskin coral to you? TIA. 20210509_153028.jpg
     
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  2. Ce BCA

    Ce BCA Well-Known Member

    The colour looks darker than usual, but the marbling looks consistent with angel skin coral. Is the surface very smooth under a loupe?
     
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  3. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    I have beads this dark, and have found that they are generally called pink coral. Angel skin is very pale, with a little pink 'blush' here and there.
     
  4. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    The surface is smooth, some of the beads have a bit of a flat side, imperfections, most beads are polished, looks like three are not.

    I am seeing mottled pink coral when I Google, and I am liking the prices!
     
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  5. KSW

    KSW Well-Known Member

    Can you get a close up of the beads?.
     
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  6. Ce BCA

    Ce BCA Well-Known Member

    Coral is another of those areas with messy naming. Angel skin coral is Corallium secundum, and this species is also called pink coral and Midway coral. It can be spotted pink, white and light pink - the light pink form being most commonly called angel skin.

    Corallium regale and Corallium elatius are also commonly known as pink coral (but not angel skin). The former comes in light red, salmon, orange, and pink colours with a core of white. The latter is pink and may be streaked with white.

    If you google search the Latin names and compare to yours in close up this might help you determine the species.
     
  7. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    20210509_164905.jpg
     
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  8. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    Thank you! This is the best close up I can get. From your information, it looks like pink coral. I am trying to determine if it is older, undyed. I think it is, just restrung on plastic wire (which I detest.)
     
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  9. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    I agree, much too dark for angel skin coral.
     
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  10. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    I learned something today! I would like to restring this on silk thread....I hate the way plastic wire makes necklaces not fluid....
     
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  11. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Can you get some good close-up photos of just a bead or two or three?
    Right now, they're looking like glass to me. :confused:
     
  12. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    I tried...the photos are too large to upload. You can see some beads are flat near the clasp, and there are natural imperfections and hairline cracks.
     
  13. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    I email the photos to myself, select size medium during the process, open the received email, and save the the photos
     
  14. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    To confuse matters, Corallium rubrum, Mediterranean (red) coral, can also be pink.:)
     
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  15. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Wondering what @Bronwen ’s opinion is?
     
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  16. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Bronwen thinks that color-wise & degree of glossiness the beads could easily be carnelian. Not sure how it was determined they are definitely coral, but, if they are, the shade is too sunburned to qualify as angel skin.

    I use the tooth test on coral. If it's highly polished I may have to compare the feel to my teeth with something I know to be glass or stone, but I find there is some grittiness to coral, although sometimes very faint.

    A side note on 'angel skin': a lot of what is sold on eBay, etc., as angel skin or angel skin coral is actually conch shell. I've posted this link before, maybe useful here:

    https://cameotimes.com/index.php/reference/materials-guide?start=1
     
  17. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    Carnelian they may well be. They'll feel heavier and colder.
     
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  18. Gus Tuason

    Gus Tuason Well-Known Member

    A drop of muriatic (hydrochloric) acid will result in foaming on coral but will not foam on carnelian. But, using this test may prove devastating to the specimen being tested...........
     
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  19. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    A less invasive way is a drop of lemon juice. The coral will also get bubbles on the surface. As long as it isn't coated.
     
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  20. Marko

    Marko Well-Known Member

    It's coral. Very lightweight, crazing, imperfection, not perfectly-shaped beads, coarse on the teeth. I have tons of coral, I just have trouble identifying the types. I have a few carnelian bead necklaces, too.
    I do think it is older and not dyed, just restrung on that icky plastic wire. I think the identification of pink coral is correct. When I Google pink coral, the description on some necklaces that looked like this stated "mottled pink coral." Thank you all! I learned a lot on this thread.
     
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