Precious coral or red coral is one of the most ancient of gemstones that have been used for adornment since prehistoric times as it was used for jewelry.
Precious coral has been harvested since antiquity for adornment use. It has been found in Celtic tombs from the Iron Age and in the ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials.
It's an organic gemstone, calcium carbonate with a trace of carotene, deposited by tiny sea creatures living in the depths of warm seas around 10 to 500 feet in very big colonies where various coral species survive. In some places saltwater corals also exist.
The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink skeleton.
Red corals grow on rocky sea bottom with low sedimentation the hard skeleton of red coral branches can be polished to a glassy shine.
Formerly people believed that Coral has powerful effects that could stop bleeding, protect from evil spirits and ward off hurricanes. The ancient belief in the protective and simulating powers of coral leaded people in there traditions to make presents of red coral necklaces for small children. Coral is special in Buddhist believe as it's one of the seven treasures in Buddhist scriptures.
Most corals are used in jewelry. They are found in the Mediterranean Sea or in the Pacific off Japan and Taiwan
The most valuable colors of coral are red, black, and pale pink, which is known as angel skin coral.
Coral is softer than other gemstones and should be stored away from other gemstones to prevent scratches. Its hardness according to the Mohs scale is 3.5.
