Coral's reds and pinks are in demand, but threatened habitats are putting a crimp on supply.

By Marlene A. Prost

Related Links

• Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) • Fish and Wildlife Service • Coral Reef Information

Coral jewelry has a timeless appeal. Thousands of years ago, the red jewel of the sea was familiar from India to Italy as a beautiful talisman with mystical healing powers. In 2001, coral is still in demand as a natural, ethnic-looking jewel that complements the latest fashions - and looks great with a tan.

The market for coral in the United States is thriving. There is apparently still enough supply, either from new sources or stockpiled inventory, to meet demand, whether for precious red coral from the Mediterranean Sea, dyed Tibetan coral, or pink coral from the Pacific.However, the coral industry is bracing for an eventual worldwide shortage. The availability of new coral is dwindling as underwater supplies are depleted. Japan has already imposed strict quotas on coral divers, while Italian divers must dive deeper and deeper to get new red coral.

Fortunately, in the short run at least, dealers are managing quite well with large stored supplies of older material, while the looming shortage is driving up the value of their product, especially high-end red Mediterranean coral.

A red coral bead choker with carved serpentine leaves from Simon Alcantara.

Helping that value along is the growing market demand, spurred by coral's return to fashion.

"There's recently been a renewed interest [in coral]," said Tammy Thomason of Thomason Stone Supply in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coral is popular in fashion as an opaque, natural red stone that is "rougher looking, rather than refined and finished," she said.

"For me, coral seems always popular," said jewelry designer Sonya Ooten of Los Angeles, whose signature design combines strung coral with crocheted gold or silk. This year, fashion magazines have shown even greater interest in coral, said Ooten, who had a necklace featured in the April 2001 issue of InStyle magazine. Coral is most popular for wear in tropical climates because "it looks really good with a tan," and complements classic resort colors like turquoise, white, and yellow.

As jewelry, coral is worn in many styles, from long strands of beads or branches, to large cabochons, to carved cameos and pins.

"It depends on the market," Thomason said. "Europeans go for big cabochons, finished, with gold," while in the southwestern United States, strands are popular. Most Americans recognize coral from Native American jewelry, where it is commonly matched with turquoise, silver, sugilite, and opal.

"The coral market has really grown," said Roben Hagobian of R.H. & Co. Inc., in Glendale, California, who has sold Italian red coral for 30 years. "It's really blossoming. Every time I go to Italy, I come up with something new."

As for price, retail coral beads of 50 mm diameter can run up to $50,000 retail at the high end, although a more common price for cabochons is under $80. Wholesale, the price has been going up every year by 15 to 20 percent, Hagobian said, noting that "purchasing is no problem" because the dollar has been strong against the Italian lira.

Hagobian attributed coral's appeal in the United States to the influence of Mediterranean style. "European fashion changes every six months, and the U.S. is catching up. The Italians love coral. Every woman has to have something in coral. There is a ritual: They work all summer, winter comes, and they buy one big coral necklace."

Coral also has a regional appeal, he said. In warmer climes, customers tend to like pink and white coral, while in cooler areas, they prefer reddish tones. Geographically, coral is a big seller in Florida, in particular, as well as California and New York.

"And Iowa. For some reason, they love coral there," said Hagobian.

Endangered Supply

A 22K gold brooch with branch coral and Tahitian mabe pearl from Margaret Ellis. Photo by Ralph Gabriner.

Coral is an organic gemstone - like pearl, jet, and amber - composed of the external skeletal remains of the coral polyp, a tiny tube-shaped sea creature. Millions of polyps build their skeletons (made of calcium carbonate) on the abandoned remains of other polyps, creating the massive coral reefs that carpet the planet's ocean floors.

Unfortunately, coral reefs are the one of most endangered ecosystems on the planet today. They are threatened by rapidly warming ocean waters, harmful bacteria, pollution, and destructive fishing methods. Commercial harvesting and trade of coral has been regulated for decades by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), an international treaty signed by close to 200 countries. In the United States, the federal Fish and Wildlife Service requires varying permits for importation of coral, depending on the species; some species of coral may not be brought into the country for commercial use.

The premier coral on the market is "oxblood" red coral, harvested in the deep waters of the Mediterranean and identified throughout history with Italian workmanship. There has been a coral trade between Naples, Italy, and Marseille, France, for thousands of years, while a number of the ancient towns buried by Mount Vesuvius eruptions were known for coral work and cameo-making.

The supply of Mediterranean red coral is diminishing, and divers are going deeper and deeper, at greater risk to themselves. Some dealers report that Italy is even restricting diving for red coral.

Another important source of coral has been the Sea of Japan, which produces red and pink coral. Much of the coral cut by Italians over the centuries originally came out of Japan; it is also sold by dealers in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.

In Japan, too, fish and wildlife authorities have enforced strict coral quotas and sharply curtailed harvesting by Taiwanese coral fishers.

A seven-strand necklace with coral tubes and Tahitian pearls from Robert Lee Morris. Photo courtesy Cultured Pearl Information Center.

Black coral, which is a plant, comes from Mexico and the Caribbean, but is no longer commercially available. South Pacific waters yield a popular shade of blush-pink coral called "angel skin" that can be expensive, but is not considered to be as high in quality as red Mediterranean coral.

"The supply is not very good for precious coral right now. There's very little to be had," said Eula Grove of The Coral Reef in Newport Richey, Florida. "Fresh natural coral from Italy is very hard to get in any good quality. . . . The demand is always greater than the supply. Getting the good quality is a problem. It's been a problem for years."

"The coral we saw for so many years processed in Taiwan has pretty much stopped," added Eula's husband and company co-owner, Joe Grove. Like many dealers, The Coral Reef is relying on coral in stock, some of which was bought 20 to 30 years ago. The Groves' largest inventory of coral is fossilized coral from Tibet. Originally white, the coral has been dyed for hundreds of years and is considered holy by the Tibetan monks.

Indeed, most of the new coral in the United States market today is dyed, said Sharon Rogow of Bead Lover in Las Vegas, a designer and bead reseller who purchases mainly coral beads from West African traders.

"I don't know if there's much coming in that's not dyed. . . . Ninety to 95 percent of the new coral is being color-enhanced or color-enhanced and heat-treated to make [the color] permanent," she said. As with all enhancements, the greatest concern for dealers and consumers is disclosure.

"I bought coral once, some large beads [from China] and I asked if they were dyed," said Rogow. The seller said he didn't know. "I put them in a jar of water and the pink came out for months. The water was pinkish red."

Jeffrey Lewis of Trade Roots in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said he is getting new Mediterranean coral, but believes it's only a matter of time before the supply dries up. He is pleased when he sells less than he buys so he can save it for the future.

"I don't deal with big coral divers. I deal with fishermen who get a permit and bring in small amounts," said Lewis. "Everyone who has access to the Mediterranean has their own little places where they dive."

It's always been difficult to order large quantities of coral, said Thomason, who imports from China. "There's only a certain amount of coral that comes out. You can't order 400 strands and get it easily. I haven't noted [the supply has] gone down, [but] it's always been very difficult to order."

At the moment, coral remains a relatively low-priced item, and unless the supply decreases drastically that is unlikely to change. The combination of price and color makes it an attractive buy for the fashion-minded, especially with the increased popularity of opaque gems. Until the fashion winds shift, coral's future on the market looks sunny.