Red Coral: A Living, Beading Wonder!
Creative Beading|Vol 16 No 6
RED CORAL HAS BEEN USED IN JEWELLERY AND DECORATIVE ITEMS SINCE THE AGES OF THE PHARAOHS AND REMAINS A VERY POPULAR CHOICE TODAY, AND NOT JUST FOR ROYALTY. SARAH EZZY-DICKSON DIVES INTO THE HISTORY AND USES OF THIS SOUGHT-AFTER SEMI-PRECIOUS BEAUTY.
SARAH EZZY-DICKSON
Red Coral: A Living, Beading Wonder!

RED CORAL BEGINS LIFE at anywhere between three and 1500 metres below the surface of the ocean in areas such as the Mediterranean Sea and areas in the Pacific Ocean around Japan and Taiwan. It has also been found in areas in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Strait of Gibraltar and at the Cape Verde Islands. Believe it or not, none of the world’s supply of red coral comes from Australian waters; it is not the right species of coral and all of our coral reefs are protected. Coral starts as a polyp surrounded by a fleshy skin which secretes calcium carbonate, forming branches and fans that can be found in colours ranging from crimson red to pale pink and white. The coral structures can grow up to 50cm in height and contain tentacles that collect passing zooplankton for nutrition. Red coral can live for up to 75 years and is quite slow-growing, sometimes only growing as little as one to eight millimetres in a year.

Usually found in dark areas such as the seafloor or in caves or crevices, red coral is often hard to harvest. In the past, the most common method has been dredging; the process of dragging a net attached to a heavy chain across the seafloor, breaking off and collecting the coral as it goes. This has resulted in the loss of up to 66 per cent of the coral colonies in the Mediterranean and surrounding areas. The preferred method to collect coral these days is for scuba divers to individually select coral based on age and quality, leaving the younger corals to develop further.

Red coral is naturally matte regardless of the colour, and needs to be polished in order to achieve the glassy shine that is often associated with coral used in jewellery and other decorative items. It is quite soft, with a rating of 3.5 on the Mohs scale and has been used as beads or as a medium for carving for many centuries.

Denne historien er fra Vol 16 No 6-utgaven av Creative Beading.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Vol 16 No 6-utgaven av Creative Beading.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CREATIVE BEADINGSe alt
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Creative Beading

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Creative Beading

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Sweet Surrender
Creative Beading

Sweet Surrender

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Creative Beading

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Creative Beading

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Crystal Cascade
Creative Beading

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A simple right angle weave with a firm structure to hang dangles from designed for Crystal Park by Angel Dreams.

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Vol 16 No 6
Beachy Dream Set
Creative Beading

Beachy Dream Set

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2 mins  |
Vol 16 No 6
Red Coral: A Living, Beading Wonder!
Creative Beading

Red Coral: A Living, Beading Wonder!

RED CORAL HAS BEEN USED IN JEWELLERY AND DECORATIVE ITEMS SINCE THE AGES OF THE PHARAOHS AND REMAINS A VERY POPULAR CHOICE TODAY, AND NOT JUST FOR ROYALTY. SARAH EZZY-DICKSON DIVES INTO THE HISTORY AND USES OF THIS SOUGHT-AFTER SEMI-PRECIOUS BEAUTY.

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6 mins  |
Vol 16 No 6
Creative Beading

A Career Made from Glass

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Vol 16 No 6