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CORAL BY BIGI UHL
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Page 1: Coral - by Bigi Uhl

CORAL BY BIGI UHL

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Owing to its intense colour and beauty, coral has been used since antiquity for decorative

purposes. And has been a source of fascination for just as long.

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Several myths and old wives‘ tales surround the coral. It is said to be a symbol of joy. According to another myth, coral contains divine blood and is said to enhance its owner‘s quality of life.

Both during and since the Bronze Age, craftsmen have been making jewellery out of coral. The ancient Egyptians placed coral into the graves of those passed on to protect them from evil spirits. In later eras, coral was believed to contain a wealth of magical healing powers.

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CORALMyth And histORy

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Coral has been used since ancient times in the Mediterranean region. Images of saints were often carved into the coral, and coral itself was often carved into figures of saints. These figures were believed to safeguard from evil, and as such can be found in earlier carvings and pictures of children, mothers and even the Virgin Mary.

Elixirs and amulets were once made out of coral. These potions and charms were said to draw disease out of the body, as well as protect from the Evil Eye. In the days before prenatal care and immunisations, mothers tried to shield their children from illness in other ways. As gemstones were believed to contain medicinal benefits, these, and in particular coral jewellery, were utilised for this purpose.

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CORALMyth And histORy

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Coral, originating from the depths of the ocean, is distinguished by its soft purity, classic extravagance and playful romanticism. Coral really is perfect in each and every form – whether as coral ball drops, cabochons or coral post earrings, whether smooth or coarse. With its many different hues of red and pink, its radiant shine and its diversity, coral jewellery is luxurious, elegant and exciting to wear.

CORALMyth And histORy

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Coral is also said to prevent lethargy, as well as ward off

negative energy. The properties in coral also stimulate

growth and regeneration, and as such provide for healthy

bone development in children, as well as prevent brittleness

of the bones in later years, which is why women undergoing

the change of life could also benefit from the healing

properties of coral.

CORALMyth And histORy

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Further, coral strengthens feelings of love and affection. Singles may find themselves gravitating towards a relationship! Self acceptance is also enhanced, feelings of envy and jealousy alleviated.

In spite of this, coral has only really been available in Europe since the 15th Century, but since then has been one of the most popular gemstones of all.

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CORALMyth And histORy

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The first images of coral that normally come to mind are those from

coral lagoons, reefs and atolls in either the South Pacific or

Australia. However, it is not these protected species of coral which

are used for making jewellery.

ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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. Their porous nature or nondescript colour renders them

unsuitable for this purpose. The species “corallium rubrum”

and “corallium japonicum” are mostly used for making jewellery.

These are not endangered species, meaning coral jewellery can be

produced without any ecological pangs of conscience.

That said, however, the fate of the coral is uncertain. Both the

coral and the pearl have fallen victim to the pollution in our

oceans. Coral cannot grow in polluted water, and as our oceans

are no longer clean, coral polyps are dying out in many places.

Coral is not a mineral. It is made up of the delicate, skeletal

remains of tiny marine organisms, which settled onto the ocean

floor in enormous colonies long before our time. Polyps secrete

calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton, from which the coral

grows like trees and branches. Coral has been building reefs for

many thousands of years. However, the growth process of the

coral is slow and tedious, which makes it impossible to breed.

In the space of one human life, coral will have only produced one

of its tiny antler-like branches. Specimens from the

Mediterranean ocean have an average diameter of approximately

15 millimetres. However, larger species do exist, such as certain

Japanese specimens, which can be up to 30 centimetres in size.

ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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In the past, the most well-known coral reefs in the Mediterranean

used for making jewellery were located on the coasts of Sicily,

Campania, Sardinia, Corsica and France. In the 15th Century,

coral was traded predominantly in Torre del Greco (south of Nap-

les). The area was dotted with workshops, engravers and grin-

ders. Since the 1960s, the coral used for jewellery comes from

the Pacific Ocean. Japanese coral took over the market in 1970.

The truly beautiful coral species, such as red coral, are becoming

more and more rare, and as such more and more expensive, due

to both pollution and the general exploitation of our oceans. As

such, progressively more fakes are infiltrating the market. These

imitations are made out of all kinds of materials, such as glass,

porcelain, synthetic materials, pressed and dyed marble powder

or ground and pressed coral dust. Please do exercise caution

when purchasing coral jewellery when abroad – many a tourist

has been bitterly disappointed.

ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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The demand for premium quality coral is on the rise. One school

of thought is that dark red coral is the most valuable. This is,

however, only partly true. Dark red coral is especially rare, as

such exquisite colours only result in the right ocean conditions.

However, coral of the best quality should have a deep, uniform

colour and structure, and be free from cracks, dents and any other

perforations. Particularly large pieces of coral with an intense,

deep, dark red lustre are referred to by experts as “ox blood”

or “moro” (the trade name for Japanese dark red coral). “Angel

skin” is the term used to describe the pale rose pink colour of

certain coral specimens – “Angel skin” is also popular and can

cost as much as a small family car.

ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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There are approximately 6,000 different species of coral world-

wide. These coral species come in the colours white, rose pink,

red, orange, yellow, blue, purple and black.

Coral is one of the most attractive decorative materials

imaginable. Although quite robust, with a Moh‘s hardness scale

of 3.5, coral is much softer than any other gemstone material.

Their beauty can easily be impaired by the wrong treatment, for

example cosmetics, perfume, cleaning agents or bright light.

If the surface of the coral should get scratched, a jeweller can

repolish it for you. Coral really should be worn as often as

possible, to ensure that it maintains its beauty.

ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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Root or foam corals are lighter and more reasonably priced than red coral. Root coral is actually a species of its own - i.e. not roots, but a special kind of coral growth. It is sometimes confused with the foam coral. Foam coral are the parts of the Japanese Moro coral which remain fixed in the sand or mud and form the transition from the foot of the coral to the main part of the growth. It has been in trade for a long time. It is heavier than the root coral and somewhat more expensive.

Both kinds find their way into the trade in large quantities from China and Japan. These kinds of coral are popular due to their size and as they are so light in weight.

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ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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ChARACteRistiCs CORAL

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SCHMUCK EDELSTEINE

&UHL

Vordergasse 39, 8200 Schaffhausen, SchweizTelefon +41 52 624 77 44

E-Mail: [email protected] www.uhl.ch