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The wise purchaser’s vademecum |
Here follow some “tricks” , secrets of the
trade which, those who are into this job must necessarily
be aware of. The use of these advices is only intended
for you to become familiar with the value’s rank
you have to consider, once you buy some coral. Generally
there is one thing to bear in mind: nowadays nobody comes
providing you with the deal of your life!
If this should happen, ask yourselves where the swindle lays, take your time.
They might tell you they need cash quickly, there are hundred other people standing
in line for the very same deal, etc.. take your time, ponder: are these people
offering you just because of who you are? Because you’re just so lucky?
Think about it!
While estimating an offered item, calculating whether its price-quality relation
is fair, is way too important. When this relation is fair, proceed with your
purchase. When there’s the big deal, or when you find yourselves a bit
puzzled, trust your guts feeling! There might be something behind it! |
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How to tell pure coral from false one?
For sure some customers came to you asking: "I want some coral, but it
must be perfect!"
Totally wrong! Coral, however it may be manufactured, is a product of Nature.
As such, it is imperfect. Do not trust a perfect piece of coral! If, for example,
a cabochon is superficially perfect, you can’t find any spot, you can’t
see those concentric lines, so common in wood, which indicate the branch’s
age, then be careful: it could be false or faked. For a safe check, you may
want to carefully observe the cabochon’s bottom: there must be a flaw!
For instance, in Japanese corals (Cerasuolo, Angel Skin, Brunette)
there must be some spot, or white line, so characteristic and represent a merit,
not a defect. understood? Look for flaws, if you’re seeking for merits,
and remember that any piece of coral is unique and unrepeatable!
Black coral
It’s coral, or rather, scientifically, it belongs to the Octocorals sub-family,
those that, normally, are manufactured. The “black coral" is
nothing but a gorgonacea (family of Fan Plants), that is,
a plant that grows in the sea. Its color is brown/black, and, being thick
and hard enough, craftsmanship is possible. It mostly grows around the
equatorial area, and the populations of that zone are those who manufacture
it in the primitive way: little trunks, imperfect spheres. Those objects’ inner
value is pretty lame, but their salesmen talk about rarities. Don’t
trust them. Their value is low either because those gorgonacee are
highly widespread, either because their craftsmanship is absolutely poor
technique-wise speaking, and definitely not artistic. |
"Angel skin"
Beware when you’re offered pink coral passing it off as “angel
skin”. The “angel skin"variety has a very particular
chromatism, which is rarely found in Satsuma generic coral, of
Japanese origin. The color of the "angel skin" is a pretty
and compact pink: the least white spots you find, the better the quality
of your "angel
skin". Being this coral shade, very rare, is also very expensive:
as for today, its price for gram is esteemed between € 50.00 and € 150.00,
according to its quality. Therefore, don’t trust those who offer
you “angel skin” at lower prices. Those are pinkish corals,
but not the real thing. Very similarly looking like “angel skin” are
the Midway coral and the Miss or Misu. They’re
both very light-colored, though, and you won’t find anything different
than white-pinkish, pale pink at the most. They’re not “angel
skin”. At any rate, the best thing to do, is to ask for a guarantee
of quality, along with asking for with the invoice, possibly signed by
your supplier, including a picture of the item of reference, for which
is stated it is true "angel skin". If your supplier is framing
you, he’ll surely refuse to proceed. |
How to keep it and maintain it
The superficial polishing Craftsmen can give to the coral, after a long
and complicated process of manufacturing, is often compromise, while
using it, by the epithelial humours and cosmetic chemical matters.
When coral gets darker, you can’t do anything but deliver it to
export hands, capable of giving it its original brightness back. Nevertheless,
there is much you can do to avoid this process. First of all, when you
think you may want to wear a coral necklace, it will be
useful not spreading creams or scents on your
neck. To keep it the best way possible, you might
polish your necklace with a cotton sheet, every
six months, even better if the sheet has been
dunked in liquid wax. This operation will erase
all slags that will lie between a sphere and
the next one. On every one or two years it will
be convenient to change the cotton thread within
the necklace. It will be stretched and darkened
by intense use.
An old saying reads what we now thing may be
a wise advice: "Coral,
when not worn, falls ill ".
So, what we can suggest is to wear it as much as you can. Coral is not
made to be kept in jewel cases. Thus, get those Grandma’s jewels
out of there and wear them! They’re alive and vibrant, and they
deserve to keep on living, by being happily worn.
A precaution you may want to follow is to avoid
the exposition of coral, in your windows, any
close to strong sources of light. You don’t
want to forget coral is anyway an organic matter,
and as such it can be damaged by very high temperatures.
The most important warning is the following one:
always bear in mind coral is both a nature’s
masterpiece, as much as man’s masterpiece.
It is an only thing! And you have to treat it
as it deserves: with the respect and love, which
are due to the piece of art, to the unique work. |
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