Rocksday

Precious Coral

The calcite skeleton of slow-growing Corallium species, polished into red and pink beads.

Precious Coral specimen
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify precious coral

  • Even red to pink, with faint parallel growth lines.
  • Fizzes in acid.
  • Branch-shaped rough pieces.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Mediterranean Sea
  • Japan
  • Taiwan

Uses

Jewelry and carvings — Torre del Greco in Italy has carved coral for centuries.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

Many precious coral species are now protected, and trade is regulated.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

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