Major Available Source: Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Japan

Precious Coral, or Red Coral, the common name given to a genus of Marine Corals is Corallium. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored Red or Pink-Orange skeleton, which is used for making Jewellery.

Red Corals grow on rocky sea bottom with low sedimentation, typically in dark environments, either in the depths or in dark caverns or crevices. The original Species, C.Rubrum (formerly Gorgonia Nobilis), is found mainly in the Mediterranean Sea. It grows at depths from 10 to 300 meters below sea level, although the shallower of these habitats have been largely depleted by harvesting.

Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of coral reefs that develop in Tropical and Subtropical waters. Due to its unique and striking color, Red coral has become a popular (macrobiotic) gemstone for jewellers in recent years. Pure red coral (Coralliumrubrum), also known as ‘Fire Coral’ or ‘Ox Blood Coral’ is becoming very rare due to the high demand for perfect specimens used in jewellery making, and the stress that over-collection is placing on the environmental health of coral reefs.

The coral formation process creates a structure that is unique to the particular coral species, but the ultimate physical characteristics of each Coral species is also subject to environmental influences. It is believed that corals first appeared during the Cambrian period, around 570 million years ago, yet Cambrian corals are extremely rare as fossils. Fossilized Rugose and Tabulate corals from the Ordovician period around 488 million years ago, are far more prevalent.

Red Coral, Fire Coral & Ox Blood Coral Properties: Precious Coral has relative density of 3.86 and hardness 3.5 on the Mohs scale. Due to its Softness and Opacity, Coral is usually cut En Cabochon, or used to make beads.