Coral Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Coral is the external skeleton of a tiny, plant-like marine animal called the coral polyp. The structures that result from generations of these creatures growing as colonies on top of each other can be quite massive. Since time immemorial, coral has been used for carvings, cabochons, and other jewelry pieces.
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Coral is the external skeleton of a tiny, plant-like marine animal called the coral polyp. The structures that result from generations of these creatures growing as colonies on top of each other can be quite massive. Since time immemorial, coral has been used for carvings, cabochons, and other jewelry pieces.
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Coral values are based on hue, saturation, size, cut, and polish.
Top values for calcareous coral go to red, pink, and orange pieces. Other colors are graded separately. Highest values for conchiolin coral go to black, then brown. Gold color has additional value, especially if it shows a sheen. When polished, the color may shimmer through a transparent layer.
Coral growths come in many shapes. The coral commonly used to make gems is branched and treelike. The largest sections of a coral’s trunk are used for carvings, which can be quite valuable. The determining value factors are the size and color of the piece as well as the skill of the artist.
Most coral is cut into cabochons or made into a variety of shapes for use in necklaces as beads.
For more detailed information on coral quality factors, consult our precious coral buying guide.
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The gem use of coral began before recorded history. The Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Native Americans used red, pink, and white corals extensively. Deep red, bright pink, and clear white corals were highly prized. Inland cultures far from the undersea sources of coral would trade for these objects.
Although relative newcomers to the cultures of the Northern Hemisphere, black and gold coral have a long history of use as gem material in their native territories, primarily off the coasts of Hawaii and Cameroon. Akori corals from Cameroon were highly prized before the 18th century.
The rarest gem coral variety, Hawaiian gold coral is also harder than other varieties. It was first described scientifically in the 1970s. The harvesting of this gem material, however, is currently restricted and cost prohibitive due to environmental considerations.
The best red corals come from the Mediterranean. Italy works most of the Mediterranean corals, but Hong Kong also receives a great deal of this material for cutting. Conversely, Italy is also a major buyer of Taiwanese material.
China and Taiwan cut large quantities of white, pink, mottled, and ox-blood corals from the South China Sea.
Coral Varieties and Identification
There are two types of coral.
- Calcareous corals: composed primarily of calcite and come in whites, reds, and pinks.
- Conchiolin corals: composed of conchiolin, the same substance found in pearls and other shells, and come in black, brown, and gold colors.
The conchiolin type is tougher and less brittle than the calcareous type.
A close relative of conchiolin corals is the rare blue coral. The hues are very nice, but the saturation is low, so these pieces tend towards gray shades.
Calcareous corals have wavy, fibrous structure, cavities from polyps, and high spot birefringence.
Conchiolin corals have a concentric, circular growth pattern ("tree rings") and show white crescents in cross sections of branches.
Synthetics
In the 1970s, Pierre Gilson developed “created corals” to help protect the natural variety from destructive harvesting. This imitation red and pink coral has a specific gravity (SG) of 2.44. This is always lower than natural red and pink material. This synthetic has weak birefringence and lacks natural structure. Under high magnification, you can see a fine granular texture.
Plastic imitations can be identified through hot point testing or acid testing. Only professionals should conduct these procedures.
Enhancements
Dyeing and bleaching are common treatments for coral.
Although dyeing can improve or even change a piece's color, the new color may fade. This process can be identified by magnification or a solvent test. The addition of dyes may produce phosphorescence.
Bleaching produces gold coral from black. This is a stable treatment. This process can be identified by magnification (which reveals a different texture) and lower SG and refractive index values.
Sources
The Mediterranean and Red Sea areas are the principal producers of gem-quality coral. Although more commonly found in tropical regions, in shallow waters with a temperature from 13-16°C, coral reefs can also occur in colder, deeper waters, such as those found to the west of Ireland.
Other notable producers include the ocean waters off the following areas:
- Australia; Cameroon; Hawaii; Japan; Malaysia; Mauritius; South Africa; Spain; Taiwan.
Coral Trade Restrictions
Corals are becoming rare. Their harvest is restricted in most parts of the world. Be aware that any raw material you are offered could be illegal to possess. To learn more about coral trade restrictions and protections for specific coral species, consult the websites of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Stone Sizes
Branches may be several inches to several feet long but aren't always thick.
Coral Trade Names
Calcareous
- Akori, from Cameroon
- Algerian, low quality
- African Star, from South Africa, red, pink, violet and yellow/orange
- Angel skin, light pink
- Arciscuro, darkest red
- Bianco, white
- Carbonetto, darkest red
- Italian, good quality, white or pink
- Japanese, pink with white center
- Moro, high quality, light purplish red Japanese coral
- Tosa, average quality Japanese coral
- Ox blood, dark red
- Pelle d’angelo, light pink
- Rosa pallido, light pink
- Rosa vivo, medium pink
- Rosso, red
- Rosso scuro, dark red
- Salmon, light pink
- Sardinian, high quality, very hard
- Sicilian, low quality
Conchiolin
- Akori, blue
- Black, black to dark brown
- Blue, light to medium dark blue
- Gold, yellow to brownish yellow, may have sheen
- King's, black
Care
Corals are sensitive to heat and should be cleaned only with a damp cloth and dried carefully. Mechanical cleaning methods, such as ultrasonic, aren't recommended. Consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide for more recommendations.
Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA
Dr. Joel E. Arem has more than 60 years of experience in the world of gems and minerals. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mineralogy from Harvard University, he has published numerous books that are still among the most widely used references and guidebooks on crystals, gems and minerals in the world.
Co-founder and President of numerous organizations, Dr. Arem has enjoyed a lifelong career in mineralogy and gemology. He has been a Smithsonian scientist and Curator, a consultant to many well-known companies and institutions, and a prolific author and speaker. Although his main activities have been as a gem cutter and dealer, his focus has always been education. joelarem.com
Donald Clark, CSM IMG
The late Donald Clark, CSM founded the International Gem Society in 1998. Donald started in the gem and jewelry industry in 1976. He received his formal gemology training from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Society of Gemcutters (ASG). The letters “CSM” after his name stood for Certified Supreme Master Gemcutter, a designation of Wykoff’s ASG which has often been referred to as the doctorate of gem cutting. The American Society of Gemcutters only had 54 people reach this level. Along with dozens of articles for leading trade magazines, Donald authored the book “Modern Faceting, the Easy Way.”
International Gem Society
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