Amulets were worn by men, women and children throughout southern Europe in the 19th century. Before the development of modern medicine, fevers, cramps and toothache could be painful and dangerous. Childbirth could kill mother or child. Many people believed that the supernatural powers embodied in an amulet could promote fertility and good health and offer protection against malign forces or the ‘evil eye’. Although the Catholic Church was opposed to the pagan nature of many amulets, it was powerless to prevent their use.

Amulets gain their power to protect from harm, or to attract good fortune, from their colour, pattern, shape or material. Stones with pronounced natural designs, like this piece of fossilised coral, were mainly worn to avoid bewitchment; the witch would be distracted by the complex pattern and so the wearer would escape unharmed. At Traunstein, where this amulet was obtained, it was also believed to help protect against fevers of all kinds.