Southwest Apple Coral Post Earrings

Coral Earrings

These hand made apple coral and green turquoise sterling silver post earrings will be a great addition to your jewelry collection. The inlaid green turquoise and apple coral will be noticed by every person you encounter. These coral earrings measure 5/8" long.

Sterling Silver: Sterling is silver with a fineness of 925 parts per thousand or 92.5% silver and 75 parts per thousand or 7.5% copper. Copper is added to the alloy to increase the silver's hardness.

Coral: Coral is the skeletal remains of marine animals called coral polyps. These are tiny creatures that live in colonies and build branching structures of calcium carbonate and the colonies grow to reefs and atolls. The surface of the coral branches can show the patterns made by the animals, sometimes striped or like a wood grain. Coral comes in several colors such as white, pink, salmon, and red which is the most valuable. The most precious coral is found in warm waters such as the coasts of Japan, around the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and around Africa. In some areas, coral is said to protect children, and parents may give their young children a gift of coral. Coral polishes well, but is sensitive to heat, acids, cosmetics, and ultrasonic exposure.

Inlay: is a decorative technique using stone, mother of pearl or even glass. It is embedded into another material such as metal or wood resulting in a level surface of the two materials. Inlay is used in jewelry with stones and in furniture with stone or different woods to create a design. The Zuni Indians used this technique in their jewelry by making a mosaic of different colored stones and bezel setting them in rings, bracelets and pendants.

Apple Coral: is rare and hard to find since coral collection was banned worldwide in 1992. The United States currently has an import ban on corals. Apple Coral is naturally a dark brick red; however it lightens with exposure to heat or extended direct sunlight.