614 APPENDIX 



other precious stones, in articles of jewelierv. There are about sixty workshops in Italy for 

 the manufacture of coral ornaments and articles of various kinds. These are exported to all 

 parts of the world and their manufacture gives eni])]oyment to about 6000 workpeople. 

 The centre of the coral-working, as of the coral-fishing industry, is Torre del Gi-eco in 

 which are forty workshops giving employment to 3200 persons, of whom 2800 are women. 

 Other places at which the industry is established are Genoa, Naples, Livorno, Trapani, and, 

 to a less extent, Rome. 



A staple branch of the coral-working industry is th"" piercing of pieces of coral of all 

 shapes and sizes ; these being threaded on a string and used as necklaces, bracelets, 

 rosaries, &c. When the coral is fashioned into beads, they are either spherical or ovoid in 

 form — in the latter case being known as " olives " — large, medium, or small in size, with or 

 without facets. Faceted beads are less in demand now than at the beginning of the 

 nineteenth century. " Arabian beads " are from 1^ to 2 centimetres in length; they are 

 bored through lengthways but not otherwise worked, and are threaded to form long strings, 

 which are much worn in the East as girdles. Beads of this description are often bored 

 crosswise. 



Italians are very skilful in the art of carving coral, and in- the production of beautiful 

 cameos and articles carved to represent trees, animals, figures, and other objects; they know 

 how to utilise the small irregularities of the surface of coral to produce the greatest possible 

 effect. Objects carved in this A\ay are either set separately in brooches, pins, &c., or in rows 

 in bracelets and necklaces. The ends of small branches are often polished and mounted in 

 their natural form in ear-rings and pins, or utilised for the decoration of various other 

 objects. 



Pieces of coral of sufficient size supply matei'ial for the handles of sticks and umbrellas, 

 and even of still larger objects. Pieces of fine quality are often carved, which add con- 

 siderably to their intrinsic value. The carved coral handle of a sunshade belonging to the 

 Queen of Italy is worth £S60. 



The value of worked coral depends not only upon the quality of the coral, but also 

 upon the artistic worth of the workmanship. The price of a necklace or bracelet varies 

 with the number and size of the beads and with their uniformity of colour. At the 

 International Fisheries Exhibition held at Berlin in 1880, a coral necklace was exhibited 

 which was valued at ^£"6000. 



The uses to which coral is put in Europe are by no means insignificant, but the 

 material is employed to a much greater extent in India and China, the two countries to 

 which the largest pi-oportion of the total annual yield of coral is sent. 



In Europe coral ornaments are worn, for the most part, by childi'en ; they are in general 

 use only in certain parts of Italy, Austria, and Hungary, in Poland, and specially in Russia. 

 In Turkey, however, coral serves not only for the personal adornment of men as well as of 

 women, but also for mural decoration and the ornamentation of pipes, weapons, harness 

 for horses, and various other articles. It is used to a large extent over the whole of 

 north Africa, especially in Morocco, and also in Arabia, but is not much esteemed in 

 Egypt. 



Coral ornaments are as much in favour with Persians as with Japanese or Chinese. 

 They are very generally worn by Chinese men and women, and incredible sums are often 

 paid for coral buttons of large size and fine quality, intended for the decoration of 

 mandarins' caps. The demand for coral is largest, however, in India, and several million 

 francs' worth is imported aimually to Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. It is worn in this 

 country in the form of necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and other ornaments ; it is used 



