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Antique Italian Pink Coral and Sterling Silver Letter Opener
About the Item
This silver and antique coral letter opener was handmade by our talented goldsmiths, who used a coral branch from Sciacca, the Sicilian town famous for its corals.
The Sciacca Coral has unique origins in the world: it is closely tied to the exceptional history of the Ferdinandea Island, which is a submerged volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily, between Pantelleria and Sciacca.
As of today the summit of the Ferdinandea Island remains between about 6 and 8 meters below the Mediterranean Sea level. Its most recent appearance as an island was in July 1831.
In the late 1831, in a shoal (called later ”Bummolo” by the fishermen of Sciacca) located around 30 miles from Sciacca, a new island emerged in a fiery hell from the depths of the Strait of Sicily.
However, one year later, the island sank back beneath the waters and definitely disappeared in the Strait of Sicily.
Over time, thanks to the exceptional microclimate determined by the frequent volcanic phenomena along the slopes of the submerged volcano, huge coral reefs have developed in the shoal.
These huge coral reefs were torn up because of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and then settled to the bottom of the sea, becoming three huge coral fields.
Over the centuries the structure of the coral fields has been modified by the volcano’s activity, and the Red Coral of the Mediterranean Sea was transformed into the unique and extraordinary Sciacca Coral, which grows in great quantity in the Sciacca area.
The Sciacca coral is characterized by unique shades of color, which go from the intense orange-red to the salmon-pink.
In 1875 three trawler captains from Sciacca found some "red gold" in their nets and, soon thereafter, broke the news in the city, thus starting a "gold rush".
- Creator:SERRA
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Stone Cut:
- Dimensions:Width: 7.88 in (200 mm)
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Roma, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1922211309502
About the Seller
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1stDibs seller since 2020
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Typical response time: A week
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Roma, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
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