Is coral jewelry valuable?

Is coral jewelry valuable?

Precious coral is not an expensive gemstone and can be found in price ranges to suit all budgets. But if you thought that coral is only used in inexpensive casual jewelry, think again. While the stone itself is not incredibly valuable, you will find expensive coral jewelry on the market on par with the best gemstones.

Is there natural blue coral?

Blue Coral live only in the Indo-Pacific in the tropics of the Indian and Pacific oceans and they are unusual in that they are blue in color, they have a blue skeleton — all other corals just about have white skeletons — and also in that they haven’t changed in their form for over 60-70 million years.

How can you tell if coral jewelry is real?

If the surface is uneven and covered in bumps or granules, it is not the real gem. Real coral beads have a smooth surface, even under strong magnification. The same applies to corals with visible dents or holes on the surface. When holding your beads, you should notice they are smooth to the touch.

What does Blue Coral look like?

Blue coral colonies are usually boulder shaped with knobs. They may also have thick leaf-like forms or columns, and may even be encrusting or plate-like. Tiny polyps (about 0.5cm) have 8 tentacles with fine branches like other soft corals (True hard coral polyps have smooth tentacles in multiples of six).

Why is Blue Coral important?

The coral produces a protein that not only imparts the deep blue color, but also acts as a natural sunscreen. The team hypothesized that this sunscreen filters out harmful ultraviolet ( UV ) radiation that may be detrimental to coral reproduction. The findings are published in Nature Scientific Reports.

What is Blue Coral made of?

The skeletons are made of a different kind of calcium carbonate (fibro-crystalline argonite) that is more brittle than that of true hard corals that belong to Subclass Sclerectinia. Inside the skeleton are tubes, where the long, thin polyps are found, and a system of canals.

Is it ethical to wear coral jewelry?

The use of coral in jewelry is not sustainable in any way. Synthetic coral is one of the answers if we are to save the oceans and their precious marine life.