Wishlist
Shopping Bag:
0845 680 6848 
Coral
Coral is one of the only organic gemstones and in this respect it is similar to pearl. It grows in warm seas, such as the Mediterranean Sea, South Seas and the Pacific ocean, and is effectively the ‘skeleton’ of individual polyps (plant-like animals) that make up underwater colonies. Click here to view coral jewellery at Astley Clarke.
Unrefined coral is matt, and only acquires its high shine after it has been polished. Lesser quality coral can be full of holes or cracked, and in these cases it is often filled with coloured wax to improve its appearance. High quality coral of an even colour, free of cracks and holes, is extremely rare and fetches very good prices, even untreated.
Coral is usually polished into cabochon or into beads, but can also be carved. Coral is most commonly found in red and pink, but it can also be black, white, brown, gold and even blue.
Coral used to be harvested with dragnets; however, today it is harvested much more carefully to preserve the environment. Specially trained divers collect the coral by hand and the coral branches are then cleaned, sorted, cut and prepared for use in jewellery.
Because it comes from such unknown depths, coral has historically been regarded to have particularly potent effects. Indians believe that coral wards off negative powers, and coral powder and ash is used in making Ayurvedic medicine. It is also used to carve statuettes and prayer beads in Tibet, as coral is believed to be auspicious.
There is also evidence that the Greeks and Romans used this stone to adorn rings, caskets and tiaras, and that merchants and sailors in the past used to carry fragments of coral as a talisman against witches. It was also used for medicinal purposes, with its powder being added to, amongst other things, the food of babies and young children to protect them from epidemics.
There is considerable dispute as to the etymology of the word. Some believe that it comes from the Greek word kura-halos, for ‘mermaid’, as the tree-like branches of the coral can sometimes resemble small figures. Others argue that the word comes from the Hebrew goral, referring to a small stone used in drawing lots, because coral branches were historically used in oracles in Palestine, Asia Minor and around the Mediterranean.
Click here to view Contemporary Designer Jewellery at Astley Clarke
Unrefined coral is matt, and only acquires its high shine after it has been polished. Lesser quality coral can be full of holes or cracked, and in these cases it is often filled with coloured wax to improve its appearance. High quality coral of an even colour, free of cracks and holes, is extremely rare and fetches very good prices, even untreated.
Coral is usually polished into cabochon or into beads, but can also be carved. Coral is most commonly found in red and pink, but it can also be black, white, brown, gold and even blue.
Coral used to be harvested with dragnets; however, today it is harvested much more carefully to preserve the environment. Specially trained divers collect the coral by hand and the coral branches are then cleaned, sorted, cut and prepared for use in jewellery.
Because it comes from such unknown depths, coral has historically been regarded to have particularly potent effects. Indians believe that coral wards off negative powers, and coral powder and ash is used in making Ayurvedic medicine. It is also used to carve statuettes and prayer beads in Tibet, as coral is believed to be auspicious.
There is also evidence that the Greeks and Romans used this stone to adorn rings, caskets and tiaras, and that merchants and sailors in the past used to carry fragments of coral as a talisman against witches. It was also used for medicinal purposes, with its powder being added to, amongst other things, the food of babies and young children to protect them from epidemics.
There is considerable dispute as to the etymology of the word. Some believe that it comes from the Greek word kura-halos, for ‘mermaid’, as the tree-like branches of the coral can sometimes resemble small figures. Others argue that the word comes from the Hebrew goral, referring to a small stone used in drawing lots, because coral branches were historically used in oracles in Palestine, Asia Minor and around the Mediterranean.
Click here to view Contemporary Designer Jewellery at Astley Clarke
