Coral ring, late 19^th century. This ring is set with a large coral cabochon, set in a plain, galleried mount. Coral jewels experienced a surge in popularity in the early 19^th century, when the European middle and upper classes embarked on ‘Grand Tours’ to Italy, and bought jewellery manufactured using coral sourced from the Mediterranean. Coral is treasured for its beautiful and distinctive range of colours, particularly its red and pink varieties, its ability to take polish to a high lustre, and its subtle surface structure, resembling the grain of wood. Often, coral is dyed or wax-impregnated to improve its colour or lustre, but unusually, this beautifully elongated cabochon is completely untreated.