Apart from their role in maintaining good relations between a ruler and his chief associates, coral beads, like cowrie shells, served as media of exchange.

An ounce of coral beads was reckoned to be worth ten large jars of oil.

They wear colourful head gears known as Nes (scarf) or coral beads.

Round her neck hung an old-fashioned link of coral beads.

One single-strand freshwater pearl necklace with three coral beads sells for $48.

The mask's oval face has a decorative band of coral beads, a material so precious it could only be owned by a king, or oba.

A skull cap of the same material, topped with the coral bead of a mandarin, covered his head.

Their signature necklaces composed of big, round coral beads often take years to create.

Wearing those coral beads, Tua, 27, was a chunky 245 pounds at today's weigh-in.

While simple coral beads have been clinically successful, there is some uncertainty over the long-term stability of pure corals.