It is quite impossible to imagine Ukrainian lady without her beautiful adornments and ladies from Step2Love also like them very much. Let’s talk today about one of the most ancient Ukrainian ornaments – beautiful red coral necklace.

Red color of different decorations always was very popular in Ukraine. This color that symbolize blood, life, kin and also sincere love and passion, is found on ancient and modern Ukrainian clothes, decorative and everyday towels, crockery, house decoration and different other things. Probably this love to the red color made red coral necklace a national ornament of Ukrainian ladies.

Different necklaces were the essential part of the national dress of Ukrainian woman. The more necklaces she had, the more rich was her family. It was explained by the high prices to the different adornments, especially if they were natural like amber, pearl, garnet and, of course, coral. Also the coral necklace suited very well to the embroidered clothes where traditionally were used red and black colors. So corals were the most popular ornament among Ukrainian ladies.

Coral necklace was also called “a good necklace” or “a pure necklace” that emphasized the “inartificial essence” of this ornament. Girls from richer families had many strings of coral beads to boast but even the poorest girl always had at least 1 string of coral beads. It was a point of honor of every Ukrainian family to present to their daughter the coral necklace and this gift was like an initiation to her adulthood. The girl with coral necklace was introduced in society like a marriageable girl.

Therefore this ornament became a symbol of female youth and beauty. Ukrainian women usually wore it until their age of 40 and could continue to do it only if their life was peaceful and happy (thanks to what, as it was considered, they preserved their beauty longer). If Ukrainian woman took off this ornament, she gave it to her daughter. In this way coral necklaces were transmitting in Ukrainian families from generation to generation.

Nowadays these traditions are not supported so strictly as earlier. But even today many Ukrainian ladies are in fond of tender coral ornaments. And some of them still carefully preserve among their different modern and sumptuous adornments simple and lovely granny’s coral necklace.