Most of the corals used in jewelry come from the Mediterranean Sea or Pacific Ocean near Taiwan and Japan. The formation of precious gem corals takes places deep undersea. The most distinctive feature of the precious corals is that it takes a perfect polish. Corals appear like a tree in a natural state and this allows a lot of polyps to be fed by water nutrients that surround the colony of corals.

You can find corals in white and red colors. These grow in branches which look like underwater trees. All over the world, people like wearing making and wearing coral jewelry. Gold jewelry and corals in coral stone form are one of the most ancient gem materials. Coral jewelry used for adornment purposes since prehistoric times, is made all over the world. Jewelry along with coral inlays has been there since the Iron Age. A lot of religious significance is associated with corals.

Corals, located at the depth of three and three hundred meters, can be found along the shores of Japan, Hawaii, Western Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay, Australia, Malaysian Archipelago and Canary Islands.

History of coral jewelry:

Coral rosaries are used by the Tibetan Lamas. In the Buddhist scriptures, coral rosaries have been considered as one of the seven treasures. Jewelry items like coral necklace, coral rings and coral bangles that were worn against the skin was said to be a powerful talisman which was effective in stopping bleeding, warding off hurricanes and protecting from evil spirits.

Torre del Greco, near Naples is the traditional coral fashioning center. This was an Italian campaign of Napoleon, with his associated taste for everything Italian which heralded the carved coral jewelry fashion. During this period, rose pink variety was very popular. During 1860's ovoids and coral beads were set into brooches made of gold, similar to turquoise. In 1870's jewelry makers started combining coral in bloomed gold brooches with emeralds and diamonds.

Taking care of coral jewelry:

Corals are precious and delicate gems so make sure that you take proper care of your coral jewelry. if you want to clean coral jewelry on your own, you can use a moist soft cloth and wipe it very gently because it is a softer gem and its hardness is just 3.5. This is the main reason why it should be stored in a very careful manner so that it does not get scratched. Coral is also porous so make sure that it does not come in contact with any sort of chemical or else it might get spoilt.

Coral jewelry is not only precious but it is also the oldest form of jewelry made with gemstones. Some pieces are as old as 25,000 years. It even predates the use of pearls that started much later. Every coral gemstone has its own color and distinct quality. Coral in black color is considered to be dramatic and exotic, something that provides guard against misfortune. Pink colored coral is very delicate and it is said to bring good health. Red coral is very romantic and it can never go out of fashion.