Among the many gems of nature, one of the brightest and most beautiful is the coral. Imagine a sparkling necklace that has come from the coral reefs of the Pacific! And similar to pearls, coral is an organic jewelry material that comes in a variety of colors from the typical red, to pink, white, blue, brown and black.

Not all corals qualify as jewels. Actually, in jewelry only the Corallium rubrum and Corallium japonicum are used. Once upon a time corals were extracted from underwater reefs with dragnets, but environmental worries have pressed for less-damaging means of collection - for instance, divers collect corals, rather than dragnets.

After being extracted from the sea, corals are processed until they become suitable for rings, necklaces and other jewelry. Part of the processing is polishing, when corals obtain their marvelous gloss. Another requirement for quality coral jewelry is that the coloring is even and the surface is not scratched or pocked with cavities.

Since corals are a relatively soft gemstone, coral jewelry needs special care in order to preserve its beauty. Although they originally come from the sunny tropics, coral jewels cannot withstand heat and direct sunlight. Be very careful when washing them with water or spraying perfume on them, because there is a risk of damage to their gloss. If you decide to wipe them, use soft cloth because otherwise you might scratch them. If you want corals to remain beautiful, you need to take care of them.

For ages, corals have been used as talismans against bad luck and evil spirits. This might not be pure superstition, because even modern science recommends using corals in therapy, for soothing fears and tensions.