Coral was long thought to be a powerful talisman that could stop bleeding, protect from evil spirits, and ward off hurricanes. The ancient belief in the protective and invigorating powers of coral lives on in the traditional present of red coral necklaces for small children. Coral is one of the seven treasures in Buddhist scriptures and Tibetan Lamas use coral rosaries.
When you say the word coral, most people think of the coral reefs in the South Pacific like the Great Barrier Reef off Australia. However, these coral reefs are formed by a different species than the coral traditionally used in jewellery.
Fragile Coral trees were once brought to the surface by means of dragnets. But today, the harvesters use more environmentally sound methods: deep-sea divers collect the branches by hand. In the next step, the pieces are cleaned, sorted, and sawed into pieces. Most coral is set into inlays, beads, carvings, or cabochon shapes.
The most valuable colours of coral are red, black, and pale pink, which is known as angel skin coral.
Good quality Coral has an even colour and has no fissures, spots, bands or cavities. Since genuine untreated Coral is rare, it is valuable.
Coral is commonly enhanced to improve its colour and durability. White coral is bleached. Pink coral is permeated with a colourless wax and orange coral is stabilised with plastic. Black coral is sometimes bleached to create gold coral. Occasionally, red coral is dyed to deepen or uniform its colour. All commonly used forms of coral enhancement are stable.
Special care is required for coral regardless of whether it is enhanced. A soft and porous gem, coral scratches and abrades easily and chlorine, alcohol, ammonia, nail polish remover, and other chemicals can damage it. Remove coral rings when washing and moisturising your hands. Avoid exposing your coral to extreme temperatures. It may gradually change colour from everyday wear.
As an organic gem, coral is softer than other gem materials and should be stored away from other gemstones to prevent scratches. To clean coral, wipe it gently with a moist soft cloth.
Guideto Precious Coral
Corals are formed deep undersea by microscopic animals called coral polyps. These tiny, soft-bodied creatures form minute, hard shells. As a colony grows, it takes on complex branching, tree-like forms which allows the maximum number of polyps to be fed by the nutrients in the water. Over time, colonies can form structures ranging from a hand-sized fan to a continent-wide reef.
Precious coral was used in the oldest form of gemstone jewelry with pieces dating back 25,000 years showcased in museums. The use of coral, whose distinctive feature is that it can take a perfect polish, even predates the use of another ancient favorite, the pearl.
Each coral gemstone color has its own distinct quality. Black Coral is exotic and dramatic and has long been considered to guard against misfortune. Pink Coral is delicate and is said to bring good health. Red Coral is best described as rich and romantic. And Gold Coral with its mysterious inner light, is the rarest of all corals.
Black Coral:(Antipathes Grandis) The first new Black Coral bed found in centuries was discovered by Maui Divers in deep waters off Lahaina, Maui in 1958. Today, Hawaiian Black Coral — the world’s finest deep sea precious coral and the Hawaii State Gemstone — is carefully collected by hand by our divers at depths that exceed 200 feet. Mature colonies may take 50 years to grow, so to ensure the future of Hawaiian Black Coral, Maui Divers strictly adheres to both federal and state regulations that the company helped to establish, prohibiting the harvesting of immature colonies. In this way, not only sustainability, but also growth of precious Hawaiian Black Coral is supported.
Black Coral is rare and, when polished, it shines with such luster you can almost see your own reflection in it. Its stunning contrast against yellow gold makes it a wonderful gift as well as a beautiful keepsake to treasure forever. Our popular Paradise Ring features an ocean wave shaped by a graceful cut of polished black coral, gold maile leaves representing Hawaiian royalty, and diamonds that shine like the evening stars over paradise; a perfect reminder of a trip to the Islands.
Pink Coral:(Corrallium Secundum) Pink Coral was first discovered off Makapuu Point, Oahu, in 1,200 feet of water in 1966, and we began making jewelry from it the same year. Now it is found over the entire length of the Hawaiian chain from Oahu in the east to beyond Midway Island in the west.
A very dense and hard gemstone, its color runs the entire spectrum of pink, from almost white to hibiscus pink to salmon red. The marbled and shaded colorings in some larger pink corals are natural qualities of the gem. The value of Pink Coral gemstones vary according to rarity, but all shades of this coral are highly prized. Maui Divers hand selects only the highest quality stones that meet our rigorous standards of excellence.
Our Pink Coral designs reflect the beautiful and fragrant blossoms of the Islands, such as the pikake flowers, which may well have been fashioned into the lei you received during a visit to Hawaii. Our Princess Kaiulani ring was named after the most beautiful princess of Hawaii; when you turn it to the side, it looks like a crown.
Red Coral:(Corallium Japonicum) With a history predating the ancient glories of Rome, precious Red Coral has been revered since early civilizations for its color, luster and texture. Found in ocean depths of approximately 500 to 1,000 feet, Red Coral grows only about 1/4 inch per year, making it a highly treasured gemstone. Our Oxblood Red Coral is harvested in waters off the island chains of Ogasawara and Ryuku. We also hand select both rough material and cut stones of the highest quality from markets around the world.
Hawaiian Gold Coral:(Gerardia Species) Hawaiian Gold Coral was discovered in small amounts in 1971 by Dr. Richard Grigg using Star II submarine in the same general area as the pink coral discovery area off Makapuu Point in 1,200 feet of water. In the year 2000, two new beds of Hawaiian Gold Coral were discovered; one atop an ancient underwater volcano called Cross Seamount, 100 miles south of Oahu, the other off Keahole Point on the Big Island of Hawaii. Both beds are at a depth of 400 meters (about 1,300 feet). The beds off Makapuu were the only commercially harvested beds in the world.
Hawaiian Gold Coral grows at a rate of approximately 3 inches per year, and only about 3% of the bed can be harvested annually. Both State and Federal laws strictly regulate the harvest. Of all gem corals, Hawaiian Gold Coral is by far the rarest.
The color of Hawaiian Gold Coral may vary widely and display many interesting patterns, unlike Pink and Black Corals. Its color ranges from a sandy beige to almost black. Hawaiian Gold Coral has a special characteristic called “Chatoyance,” from the French word for “cats eye” and it describes a mysterious moving inner light that can be seen in Hawaiian Gold Coral. Maui Divers is the only company in the world that makes jewelry with Hawaiian Gold Coral.