Word has it in the jewelry community that coral is growing in popularity and will eventually replace the current jewelry sweetheart, turquoise. There is no denying the beauty of coral, and in fact, it looks great combined with turquoise. And like turquoise, coral has a rich history and has been used for centuries as ornamentation (both as beads and artistic carvings). However, unlike turquoise, coral is considered an organic gem, along with amber, pearls, and ivory. Organic gems develop in nature due to a biological process. Personally, while I have to admit that coral is tempting to use in my jewelry designs, I had a bad feeling about it. Therefore, I decided to do a little research before I made my final decision of whether or not coral is cool or cruel.
I started with Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones, which has an excellent section on organic gems. According to Simon & Schuster, "most of the coral used since antiquity as an ornamental material comes from the calcareous skeletons of colonies of marine organisms." While this scientific definition is interesting, it still didn't answer my question about coral, so I continued my research.
Next, I searched the Internet, and it didn't take me long to find exactly what I was looking for on the Reef Relief site. This is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to saving the coral reefs of the world, and it had a wealth of information. Specifically, for the question of why coral reefs are important, it states, "coral reefs deserve protection for their intrinsic natural value […] Barrier coral reefs protect shorelines from erosion and storm damage." The site also explains how many species of ocean life are dependant on the reefs and how endangered they are today. Damage by man, of course, is the main reason why reefs are in trouble. While there are many ways that man is responsible for the destruction of the reefs, I did find jewelry specifically mentioned: "Coral Reefs around the world are being decimated by mass harvesting for the "curio" (i.e. souvenirs/dust collectors, jewelry and aquariums)."
This information was enough for me to make my decision. While coral is a beautiful organic gem, it is definitely not cool. Therefore, I do not plan to use it, and I am now researching the use of imitation coral. Normally, I cringe at the idea of using imitation anything, but when it comes to coral, I will proudly declare that any coral in my jewelry is not the real thing. I'd rather real coral be left in the ocean where it belongs.
Here's a printer friendly copy of this file.
