Antique Victorian Carved Salmon Coral Rose Earrings

Nothing thrills me more than the delicate, exquisite, painstakingly detailed carved coral that was being produced in Italy during the 19th century. Deeply rooted in the craze for all things naturalistic and botanically inspired, these mid 19th century carved coral earrings are adorned with finely carved roses, rosebuds, and rose leaves, in a delightful salmon color. The top of each earring has a small, additional "stem" as part of the design (this is not a post for a missing component, they have been intentionally added and flattened to resemble stems). Made of Mediterranean coral, carved thin enough to be almost translucent in some places, it is a miracle that they have survived to the modern age in such excellent condition. These were most likely carved in the Naples/Torre del Greco area, between the 1850s and 1870s. 

These earrings are in very good condition. There are a few minor chips that are not immediately visible- one earring has a chip to the bottom of one rose leaf on the top, and a small amount of material missing from the other top rose leaf. There is evidence of old adhesive between some of the coral components- I have removed as much as possible without risking damage. Any remaining adhesive is not visible when worn. There is also evidence of two small silver solder repairs, along each "spine" on the backs of the earrings. 

Each earring measures just over 2" from the top of the hook to the bottom of the pendant. The coral is set on approximately 12k gold.