Coral is the skeleton of small sea animals, not a mineral. The blue and orange coral beads in our pieces are bamboo coral, bleached and dyed, not the precious red kind. Natural bamboo coral is white.
Organic (marine animal skeleton; calcium carbonate)
Coral
Coral
- Palette
- Red Orange Blue White Black Gray
- Mined in
- Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.5–4.0 ?
- See-through
- opaque
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- the Greek korallion, Theophrastus's name for red coral
- Also sold as
- precious coral, red coral, Corallium, bamboo coral (dyed), sea bamboo coral, mountain coral, Gorgon's stone
- Intention
- Protection Calm
- Looking for
- Protection Calm
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Red, pink, and blue coral beads are usually dyed, because the soft bamboo and sponge coral used for beads is naturally beige or white. Fine natural red coral is rare and costs far more.
Not in our pieces now
1 METER
Red Mediterranean coral colonies grow up to one meter tall, branching like small underwater trees.
1790
The Royal Society of Coral was founded in Torre del Greco, Italy, in 1790, and the town opened its coral school in 1878.
WILLIAM HERSCHEL
People thought corals were plants until the 1700s, when William Herschel used a microscope to show they are animals.
What it is
Coral is the hard skeleton of small sea animals, not a mineral. Precious red coral (Corallium) is fine-grained, matte until polished and ranges from pale pink to deep red. Most bright coral beads on the market, including blue and orange ones, are bamboo coral, a cheaper coral that is bleached and dyed.
What gives it its color
The red and pink of precious coral come from natural carotenoid pigments in its calcium carbonate skeleton.
Where it comes from
The main source of red coral has long been the Mediterranean (Sardinia, the Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde and southern Portugal), where shallow beds are largely depleted; other species come from deep water off Japan and Taiwan.
In history
Red coral jewelry turns up in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials, and Pliny noted that the Gauls decorated weapons and helmets with it before Indian demand took over the trade. In Italy, Torre del Greco's coral industry is documented from the 15th century and opened its first coral factory in 1805.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, coral is the stone people keep for protection and a soothing, steady mood.
In Italy, coral was worn as a charm against the evil eye, best freshly gathered and uncut. Roman writers called it the Gorgon's stone, and in Hindu gem lore it belongs to Mars.
People wear it as a bracelet or at the neck, where the color shows, and keep it dry.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, at the neck, where the color shows, or in a pouch, dry.
In crystal practice
Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, at the neck, where the color shows, in a pouch, dry. People reach for it when they want protection, calm, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
Also calledprecious coral, red coral, Corallium
Care
- Soft and made of carbonate: keep it away from acids, vinegar, perfume, hairspray and cleaners.
- Dyed bamboo coral can lose color with water, sweat and sun, so keep it dry and out of bright light.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth and store it in a pouch of its own, apart from harder stones.
- If buying precious coral, ask the seller for the species and where it came from.
How to tell what you have
- Coral is the hard skeleton of small sea animals. Bamboo and sponge coral are naturally beige or white, so a very even bright red, pink, or blue bead is dyed.
- Look at the drill hole and any cracks for color that has pooled there, and test colorfastness before using beads next to light fabric.
- Hardness is only about 3-1/2 to 4, so it scratches and chips easily.
What sets the price
Price follows the color (rich natural red, pink and orange are the most valuable), the bead size and polish, and whether it is natural coral or dyed, bleached or imitation; bright strands of soft pale coral that were dyed cost much less than fine natural red.
Rules and sourcing
Some coral is controlled under CITES, the wildlife trade treaty: black, blue and stony coral, and four Pacific red coral species, need permits to cross a border. Dyed bamboo coral, the common bead coral, is not CITES-listed, and a seller should say which coral these beads are. Red, pink and blue coral beads are usually dyed, because the soft bamboo and sponge coral used for beads is naturally beige or white. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye; fine natural red coral is rare.
Questions people ask at our table
What is coral?
It is the hard skeleton of tiny sea animals, mostly calcium carbonate, so it is organic rather than a mineral. Precious red coral grows slowly in cool, deep water and is polished into beads and cabochons.
Is the coral in your bracelets natural or dyed?
The blue and orange coral beads in our pieces are bamboo coral, which is bleached and then dyed. Natural bamboo coral is white, so the strong blue and orange are dye.
How can I tell precious red coral from dyed bamboo coral?
Bamboo coral has wider ridges along its length and usually a very even, vivid color, and a dye trace can show in cracks. A reputable seller or a gem lab is the dependable check.
Is coral protected?
Some species are. Red and pink coral from Japan and nearby waters (Corallium japonicum and relatives) is listed under CITES Appendix III, and black, blue and stony corals are in Appendix II. Mediterranean red coral and bamboo coral are not listed, but Mediterranean beds were overfished and are recovering.
Does it fade or get damaged by water?
Dyed coral can fade with water, sweat and sun, and all coral is soft and dissolves in acids. Keep it dry and away from perfume.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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