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Article Series: Jewelry
A Quick Education On Jewelry
Using
Coral In Jewelry
Corals are forms of marine life that come
from a class that is scientifically known as Anthozoa. Coral
is defined as a “rocklike deposit consisting of the calcareous
skeletons secreted by various anthozoans.” Coral often grows
in clumps of deposits and is commonly found attaching itself
in large quantities to reefs or is prevalent on islands that
are surrounded by warm seawater. Due to the location where
it grows, coral is often associated with the season of summer
as well as sunshine and beaches.
Coral is a delicate material but it is available in abundance
and it is so beautiful, which might explain its immense
popularity among jewelry lovers. Coral is believed to be one of the beautiful
miracles that nature provides us with. When it comes to turning
coral into pieces of jewelry, it is “corallium japonicum” and
“corallium rubrum” that is made use of.
Coral is similar to pearls in that they both are products
from the sea, the chemical composition of both is very much
alike and they both are readily made into organic jewelry.
Pearls and coral are both made up of 90% calcium carbonate.
The exact same raw material from nature that gives up pearls
also gives us scarlet coral.
When coral is unprocessed it is of a matt quality. It does
not a brilliant shine to it until it has been thoroughly polished.
Lower grade qualities of coral are very often porous and are
either cracked or are filled with a number of holes. This lesser
quality of coral can often still be used but it has to be filled
with a type of colored wax to make it look better. Coral that
is of a high quality on the other hand will not have any blotches
or cracks in it, nor will it have any holes or striations.
High-quality coral usually is of an even type of color. Due
to the fact that coral that is genuine and untreated in extremely
rare, it sells for excellent prices.
The most common color for coral to be found in is red however
in nature coral comes in an array of colors from blue to brown
to black to white to a number of different hues of red. As
far as the red hues of coral are concerned it is most prevalently
found in a deep dark red color or else a pale pink or salmon
color. Corals that are black or gold are very popular to be
made into jewelry, as they are considered elegant and sophisticated
while the blue coral is rare and is therefore very much a sought
after color. When the skin of the coral is a combination of
white mixed with a touch of pink it is felt to be very precious.
The rich red Japanese Moro coral is a particularly lovely variety
as is the red “Sardegna” and the pale pink “Boke” coral.
While coral is not an extremely sensitive material, it is
softer than other types of gemstones as it has a hardness of
3.5. Such things as bright light, hot water, cosmetics or improper
treatment can easily destroy the beauty that is attributed
to coral. When it needs to be cleaned, coral jewelry must be
wiped with a soft, damp towel and it must always be kept in
a safe place away from direct sunlight. If a piece of coral
jewelry gets scratched, take it to the jeweler promptly to
have it re-polished so it looks new again.
Coral has been used throughout time as both a protective stone
and also as a way to decorate the body. In many cultures across
the globe red coral are worn as talismans to ward off evil
spirits. Today it is believed by gemstone therapists that coral
helps to relieve tension as well as fear and can promote a
positive feeling in a person’s psyche.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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