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| PINK
CORAL,
Untreated |
Created
by marine microorganisms, each piece of
coral has its own unique character.
In Scotland, there is a saying that coral
brings beauty and prosperity to young girls. |
Coral is neither plant nor mineral,
but rather a product of microorganisms
that live in the ocean. It is
composed mainly of calcium carbonate-the
same as the outer portion of
pearls- and forms slowly over
time in nature, with no human
intervention. It has long been
said that coral has the power
to protect one from evil spirits
and to bring good fortune, and
it was used extensively during
the ancient Greek and Roman ages.
The deep red coral from the Mediterranean
Sea was introduced to Japan via
the Silk Road during the Nara
Period (710-784AD) and is still
called kowatari (literally, "through
Persia") there.
The photograph below shows a
ring with a beautiful pink coral,
measuring 9 millimeters (0.35
inch) in
diameter, set with high-quality
diamonds to either side. The
necklace to the
next page is
comprised of beautiful pieces
with very even color and very
few cracks or fractures.
The gathering of gem coral began
with drag-netting, which was
replaced by diving around the
middle of the 20th century. Today,
robots are being used on deep
ocean floors, and the environment
is protected as the coral is
gathered. The Washington Treaty
regulates the harvest of hexacorallia coral (soft coral), the type
that forms coral reefs, whereas
the material used in jewelry
is a different variety called
octocorallia coral. Black coral
is a type of soft coral that
is similar to hexacorallia coral. |
In 1868,
a ban on coral fishing in Japan was
lifted, and by the 20th century exports
to the Mediterranean coral processing
center of Torre de Greco in southern
Italy flourished. The Japanese had
preferred the red Mediterranean coral
for many years, but the Italian coral
merchants set their sights on the
beauty o the light-colored coral
that came from Japan. They especially
noticed a material that the Japanese
called "boke," a light
pink color with very even coloration
that is
now called "angel skin." To keep
the prices from rising, the Italians
referred to this as "charbo" (faded
color), or "insignificante" (boring).
One can only praise the deep understanding
of beauty and excellent business
sense of these Italian merchants.
Coral is easily attacked by acid
such as lemon juice and vinegar,
and some pieces are specially processed
to protect their surfaces. Also,
since coral's hardness is low at
3 1/2, it should be stored separately
from other gemstones. The secret
to preserving coral's beauty is to
wipe it with a soft cloth after each
use. |
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Ring,
Gold
Coral 1pc
Untreated
Diamond 18pc
US $3,000 |
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