Coral Jewelry

Coral in Jewelry

Coral is a popular gem used with turquoise jewelry, and with different tones of red can contrast the green and blue tones of turquoise. Cultures located near shallow waters and those cultures that had trade routes have utilized Coral for trade and in their jewelry.

In many ancient cultures Coral jewelry was important for its many believed supernatural benefits, including as a ward against accidents and a protective amulet against magic. Coral is also a symbol for the Life Force Energy, and is believed to help bring harmony in your heart. Coral is a soft gem, making it easy to shape and work with, attributes that allowed prehistoric peoples to utilize it for personal ornamentation in various forms of jewelry.

The use of Coral in early jewelry evolved from mere adornment to charms with talismanic properties. Coral jewelry was worn often as a talisman to ward off evil spirits, witchcraft, and the devil. Coral is also attributed with providing vitality, physical strength, strengthened marital relationships, wealth, increased sensuality, and provided protection while out to sea. Ancient cultures also used Coral for medicinal purposes to treat ailments of the blood and head, and to strengthen the immune system by supporting the lymph nodes.

Coral grows and is found in salt water depths from 25 to 1000 feet. Increased demand for Coral has led to the near depletion of shallow-water occurring Coral. Though Coral found in shallow waters sees more harvesting, that which occurs in deeper water is of better color and quality. The most desired specimens of the Mediterranean Sea and Sea of Japan are among the nearly depleted supplies. Coral naturally occurs in many colors including white, black, blue, lavender, pink, and many shades of red. While each color has been used in jewelry, it is red Coral that has flourished aesthetically in jewelry. Because the demand outweighs the supply, jewelers have resorted to alternatives; namely dyed sea Bamboo Coral and Sponge Coral. Bamboo coral and sponge Coral are more readily available and lessen not only the stress on the dwindling red Coral supply, but also the cost of materials.

The majority of Coral jewelry on the market today is bamboo coral or sponge Coral that provide the attractive look of Coral without the heavy price. These are attractive substitutions, but there are some notable differences between them and red Coral. Sponge Coral is very porous and is known to have brown patches. It can be stabilized to have a smooth surface, but brown swirls can still be visible. Bamboo Coral is smoother than sponge Coral, but occurs white in nature. It is dyed to achieve the red color. Poor quality Bamboo Coral jewelry can lack uniform color, and may appear streaky. Also visible can be black spots a natural occurrence in bamboo Coral.

The use of bamboo or sponge Coral in jewelry is widely accepted, though it is important the Coral be labeled as such.