https://randombitsoffascination.com/2017/03/21/dangerous-even-deadly-teething-in-jane-austens-world/?cn-reloaded=1

The following is a fiction portrayal of a simple row of coral beads

It was during the early hours of November 21st 1840 when the much awaited news broke out in the household of Mr & Mrs Thompson that baby Amelia had been born.  Amelia was the sweetest child, born with a light dusting of pale blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

Anne her mother had endured a frightful night in labour, but alas both mother and baby were doing fine.

As was customary the christening was arranged four weeks later.  Baby Amelia was dressed in the finest hand embroidered cotton christening gown with matching bonnet and bootees.  Just before leaving for church her proud parents bestowed her with a simple row of tiny hand cut coral beads, as Anne placed them around her sweet daughters neck, fastening them with a glistening gold clasp, she whispered in her ear "these coral beads will protect you from harm my sweetchild".

The coral beads had been given to Anne on her Christening day and her mother before that.

Amelia wore her coral necklace daily until it became too tight, she then wore it doubled as a bracelet.  At the tender age of 18 Amelia was betrothed to James, her childhood sweetheart.  In preparation for the big day her coral beads were restrung at the village jewellery shop and a single bead was removed and made into a stick pin, this was gifted to James on their wedding day, he in turn presented her with a romantic gift of a pearl and diamond crescent brooch, the pearl representing "purity", the diamond "eternal love" & the crescent moon "a new beginning" together as a married couple.  The happy couple were married in the spring of 1859 and just three years later the joyous news of the birth of baby Albert was announced.  

Albert was a bonny boy with a full head of hair, chestnut brown eyes just like his father.  Amelia placed the coral beads wrapped several times around baby Alberts wrist on the day of his christening, to protect him from illness and harm....and so the story of the coral beads and stick pin continue, the beads graced the wrists and necks of all the future children, as was the family tradition. This heirloom was passed through the generations.  Albert wore the coral stick pin daily on his tweed jacket and on his cravat for more formal occasions.  His first daughter Beatrice wore it during the Edwardian period and throughout her travels during the "Grand Tour" of europe. 

In the 1920's Beatrice's daughter Bhuna up cycled the coral beads and had them restrung & attached to black grosgrain ribbon repurposed as a flapper headdress.  This was the Great Gatsby era when fashion was more unrestrained and liberal.  A striking brunette, Bhuna was the belle of the ball with her hair cut into a chiselled bob  with the striking coral headdress, she wore a simple black flapper dress with beaded tassels and a diamond arrow jabot pin  facing down at the side of the v of her dress - outrageous screamed her mother, the fun and frivolity of the flapper era was the much needed tonic that people craved after the hardships of the 1st world war.   Bhuna's social calendar was bursting at the seams, from Jazz parties, to dance halls and weekend trips in the country.  It was a New years eve jazz party that Bhuna and Edward first met, their eyes locked across the room.... Three months later they were married.  A simple platinum band sealed their love. Not more than six months into their marriage and baby Felicity was born.

Felicity was her mothers child, bubbly, fun and outrageous, she would dress up in her mothers clothes and heels and parade around the house laughing and singing, lipstick smeared across her face and the coral beads hung around her neck.  As a teenager she became rebellious and wild, she plaited the coral with ribbon and secured it to her long flowing hair & set off on her adventure with her group of hippy friends piled into her trusted VW camper they went to Woodstock 69 to listen the sounds of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin! 

Much later Felicity settled down in a sleepy village and took up a post teaching music at St Peters college, the coral beads securely wrapped around her wrist, pensively she would twist and turn the bracelet when deep in thought.

In the 90's Felicitys only child Paul, kept the coral beads from his christening in a crawfords biscuit tin along with family photos and whatnots.  The coral beads did not see the light of day for over twenty years until one day when Paul & his wife moved house, they placed the unwanted coral in a box of bric-a-brac and took them to the local charity shop.  The staff sorted through the boxes and sold the coral beads together with other pieces of jewellery and silver to the local antique shop.

Today the coral bead necklace sits, unloved in the bay window awaiting its new owner...... and so its story continues..

S H O P C O R A L

C o r a l b e a d s w e r e a p o p u l a r c h o i c e a s a c h r i s t e n i n g p r e s e n t h e r a l d i n g b a c k

t o t h e a n c i e n t t i m e s . T h e y w e r e b e l i e v e d t o p r o t e c t t h e w e a r e r f r o m

i l l n e s s ,