The Use of Corals

Since long time ago, coral is a material that has been used in making jewelry and sculptures. Corals lives in the sea, sometimes people who are looking for rare corals will go as deep as 2000 meters below the sea level to find them. Despite of the large quantity demanded, corals grow very slowly and some can only grow slower than 1 millimeter a year.

The color of the coral is extremely important that people will assess the value of the coral based on its color. There are mainly three colors: white, pink and red. White corals are the most common and is named “angle skin”. They are very commonly used as accessories. Pink is less common and can have some considerable value. Some pink corals with slight orange color are also used to make jewelries like spacer beads or pendant necklace. The name given to the color of pink coral is “salmon skin”.  And the most expensive coral color is red partially because of it is rarity.

Red corals grow on rocky bottom of the sea with low sedimentation, typically in dark environments—either in the depths or in dark caverns or crevices. Pure red corals are rare and most of them exhibit a range of warm reddish pink colors from pale pink to deep red. In terms of shape, they usually look like small leafless bushes and can grow up to a meter in height. Red Coral evokes passion, romance and strength.

Ancient civilizations used red coral extensively for medicinal purposes. It helps to cure sterility, calm the mind, stimulate intuition and facilitate emotional healing. It is believed that red coral nourishes the blood and strengthens the skeleton and it can also stimulates tissue regeneration while nourishing blood cells. It is a gemstone that symbolizes joy, prosperity, protection and abundance. It is a good assistant in meditation and visualization, bringing zen, clarity and emotional balance.