Coral

The coral, of organic origin, is presented in the form of reefs, of which only some branched trunks are used in jewelry.

It is found in the western Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Biscay, the Canary Islands, the Malaysian archipelago, the Midway Islands, Japan and the Hawaiian Islands.
The two species of coral that are mainly used in jewellery are Corallium Rubrum (the most common and most sought-after, with a red colour due to the presence of carotene) and Corallium Japonicum (ranging in colour from salmon pink to pale pink, almost white, and known as "angel skin").
The coral branches are harvested at depths of between 3 and 300 metres. After harvesting, the coral is stripped of its soft parts and sorted according to quality.
In its raw state, coral is matt; polished, it takes on a vitreous sheen.