Precious coral

Coral has been used for ornamental purposes and in jewellery by humans for millenia, in many different regions of the world. There are thousands of different coral species but only very few that are used in jewellery. These corals are also called precious coral by the jewellery industry. Precious coral comes in a wide range of colours. Traditionally known only from the Mediterranean region harvesting began in the 19th century also began in Asia.