Properties

 

Coral is one of the sea's precious treasures and consists of the skeleton of small coral polyps. Its natural surface is matte, but can be polished to the most beautiful gemstones with a vitreous luster. The coral is available in several red colors - however "momo", which denotes a wonderful shade between tomato and peach, is my personal favourite. Read on if you want to know more about the exquisite coral!

♡ Shiri

 

--

Spirituality

The coral's spiritual qualities include: Community, protection, love and balance. The fine red coral is often associated with love, but is equally a gemstone that inspires creativity and imagination. Coral is said to foster community, making it an excellent gemstone for bonding and strengthening friendships. Some also believe that the coral has a protective property that has a particularly good effect on women and children.

--

History

The red coral has been used as decoration for thousands of years. Fine jewelry set with coral was especially popular in the Victorian era. Here, small children from rich families also received teething rings cut from beautiful coral as a gift.

--

Legend

The coral has been given several different mystical properties over time. In ancient Egypt, coral was believed to contain divine blood, and coral was therefore placed in graves, believing that it would protect the dead from evil spirits. The Romans also believed that coral possessed a protective quality, and therefore decorated their children with beautiful coral pearls, which they believed would protect them and ensure their good health.

--

Gemology

Coral stalks consist of calcium and horn material formed by colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps. Each polyp sits in its own hole in the coral and is connected by their common skin that encloses the coral. The coral used as a gemstone is the skeleton left by the coral polyp colony. It is typically found in fine colors of black, blue, red, yellow and white. Coral is found in the warm seas and Italy in particular has a large coral industry. Coveted corals are also found in the seas around Japan, Australia, Africa, Malaysia and Hawaii. Coral is categorized as 3-4 according to the Mohs hardness scale.