Coral jewellery became fashionable in Poland in the first half of the 18^th century, first among the nobility, then among burghers and a hundred years later in all the rural regions, especially in southern and central Poland. Precious corals, also called ‘genuine coral’, were mainly imported to Poland from Italy (Naples, Venice) or France (Marseille). They were worn by the richest housewives; the size of coral beads and the number of strings in the necklace signalled degrees of wealth. Genuine coral was expensive; in the first half of the 19^th century, three strings of coral beads were worth as much as a few cows. Coral beads were treated as capital investment. They were a part of a bride’s trousseau, and a daughter would inherit them from her mother. They were accepted as a pledge for money. They were believed to prevent headaches, diseases, illnesses (e.g., epilepsy) and to protect from evil spells. To save money for even a single modest string of coral beads, less wealthy maidens would work as housemaids, do various odd jobs or take up seasonal work assignments. Poorer girls wore artificial coral beads. In areas close to Krakow, these were often ‘bread corals’ made of a paste that included starch with an addition of resin and red dye.