Precious Corals

InOrganic Precious Corals Along with other biogenic substances, precious corals are among the oldest gem materials used by humankind since the Iron Age. The material corresponds to the bio-mineralized exoskeleton of limited numbers of marine species of the phylum Cnidaria that thrive in various parts of the world. By Rui Galopim de Carvalho, FGA-DGA WƌĞĐŝŽƵƐĐŽƌĂůĐŽŵĞƐŝŶĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚĐŽůŽƌƐ͘ ;WŚŽƚŽ͗DƵƐĞŽĚĞůŽƌĂůůŽ͕ŽůĞnjnjŝŽŶĞ>ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽͿ 70 InColor ʜ Summer 2018 www.Gemstone.org InColor S ustainability concerns pushed by climate change have put the issue of coral on the agenda of major trade organizations such as CIBJO (the World Jewellery Confederation) where a Coral Commission has been working since 2016 to address these issues. Much of the information in this article comes from that important work. Coral Throughout History The use of coral as an adornment dates back to pre-history, DVGRPDQ\ELRJHQLFJHPPDWHULDOV7KHRQO\VLJQL¿FDQWKLVtorical source for precious coral was the Mediterranean. It is thus interesting that coral is found in very old artifacts, which were found far from these coastal zones. For example, the African kingdom of Benin valued coral more than anything else, and traded for it with the Portuguese as far back as the 1500s. Even today, Benin royalty still wears coral-strung vests for formal ceremonies. Tibet is another example of a region where coral was, and still is, very much appreciated. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) wrote about Mediterranean coral being traded to Asia. InterestingO\FRUDOVDUHDOVRPHQWLRQHGLQVDFUHGGRFXPHQWVQDPHO\ LQWUDQVODWLRQVRIWKH7DQDNKDQG%LEOH -RE LQGHVFULSWLRQVRI3DUDGLVHLQWKH.RUDQ 6XUDK)DWLU DQG in mythology, notably in Metamorphoses by Ovid (43 BC17 AD). In this text, it is said that Perseus decapitated Medusa—whose gaze turned her enemies to stone—in order to set Andromeda free. Perseus then buried her head in the sand, covering it with leaves and branches, then taken into the sea by nymphs, and transformed into coral. This was the origin of the belief that coral possessed powers against poison, evil eye and epilepsy. This pagan tradition was reborn in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, when coral was again considered a symbol of longevity and was used in devotional objects such as the unusual 14th century reliquary in the Machado de Castro National Museum in Portugal. Iconographic representations of children—Baby Jesus in particular—were commonly made wearing coral or associated with coral. A IDPRXVH[DPSOHLVWKH0DGRQQDGHOOD9LWWRULDE\$QGUHD Montegna (1496) that resides in the Louvre Museum in Paris. In the 18th century, the Kingdom of Naples established the Reale Compagnia del Corallo in Torre del Greco, following a long tradition of coral manufacturing. About that time, coral was recognized as being an animal and not a plant, a theory that had already been put forth by the famous Persian scholar Abu Al-Biruni (973-1048). Only after Jean-André Peyssonnel’s research in ZDVWKHDQLPDOQDWXUHRIFRUDOV¿QDOO\DFFHSWHG 7KHGLVFRYHU\RIFRUDOLQ$VLDDQGWKH3DFL¿FLQWKH 1800s further contributed to the development of the industry in Torre del Greco and then expanded to Asia, most notably in Japan and Taiwan. International Colored Gemstone Association ,ŝŐŚůLJ ƐŬŝůůĞĚ ĐĂƌǀĞƌƐ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ĂƌƟƐƟĐ ƐĐƵůƉƚƵƌĞƐ ĞƐƉĞcially in the largest precious coral variety, the peach to ƐĂůŵŽŶ ǀĂƌŝĞƟĞƐ ŽĨ WůĞƵƌŽĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵ ĞůĂƟƵƐ known in the trade as ŵŽŵŽ͕ƐĂƚƐƚƵŵĂor cerasuolo coral. ;WŚŽƚŽ͗DƵƐĞŽĚĞůŽƌĂůůŽ͕ŽůĞnjnjŝŽŶĞ>ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽͿ Precious Coral vs Common Coral A distinction must be made to properly narrow the scope of this discussion to the materials that are used in the jewelry. The word coral applies to thousands of marine species of the phylum Cnidaria, particularly those from the Antozoa class, including the subclasses Octocorallia and Hexacorallia. Of these, only a few are suitable for use in jewelry and decorative arts, hence the term precious coral, a name that the trading community uses to distinguish them from the numerous species of common corals that are not used in jewelry. According to the CIBJO Coral Book, precious corals such as those used in jewelry and decoration, notably red, pink and white varieties with porcelain-like luster after polishing, are limited to species belonging to the family Corallidae, particularly the Corallium, Pleurocorallium and Hemicorallium genera. Common corals are de¿QHGDVFDOFDUHRXVW\SHXVXDOO\IRXQGLQFRUDO reefs (e.g. sponge coral, bamboo coral and blue coral). After treatment, they can sometimes be used as ornaments. hŶƵƐƵĂůϭϰƚŚͲĐĞŶƚƵƌLJƌĞůŝƋƵĂƌLJƚŚĂƚďĞůŽŶŐĞĚƚŽ Queen Saint Isabel of Portugal, featuring polished trunks of Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrumͿ͕ƐŚŽǁŝŶŐƚŚĞŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂůĂŶĚƐƉŝƌŝƚƵĂů ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶĐĞŽĨƚŚŝƐƉƌĞͲŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐŐĞŵŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů͘ ;WŚŽƚŽ͗ΞDƵƐĞƵEĂĐŝŽŶĂůDĂĐŚĂĚŽĚĞĂƐƚƌŽ͕ ŝƌĞĐĕĆŽ'ĞƌĂůĚŽWĂƚƌŝŵſŶŝŽƵůƚƵƌĂůͿ InColor ʜ Summer 2018 71 InOrganic Corallium japonicum lives in Japanese waters at ĚĞƉƚŚƐŽĨϴϬƚŽϯϬϬŵ͕ĂŶĚ has an average height of ϮϬĐŵ͘/ƚŝƐŬŶŽǁŶŝŶƚŚĞ trade as ĂŬĂ͕ŵŽƌŽand oxbloodĐŽƌĂů͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗Śŝŝ >ŝŚŽƌĂů>ƚĚͿ Many common coral species in coral reefs are protected DQGKDYHUHFHQWO\EHHQFODVVL¿HGDVHQGDQJHUHGEHFDXVHRI climate change. A few species of non-mineralized corals, with a soft organic skeleton, such as black and gold corals (e.g. Anthipathes spp., Kulamanamana haumeaae), have been used in ornaments in the past. One major difference between precious and common corals is the depth at which they grow. Common corals on coral reefs live in shallow waters, whereas precious corals live at greater depths and are harvested below 60m down to 2000m. It is important to understand and properly convey that corals used in the jewelry industry (precious corals) are not the same as corals living on coral reefs, which are threatened by climate change and are of great concern to international organizations and the consumer. Coral as a Gem Material Only a few species of coral are used in jewelry and they range from white to orange or from white to red tones. AlWKRXJKHDFKYDULHW\FDQEHWUDFHGWRWKHVSHFL¿FWD[RQ ELRlogical group) that generated it, the coral community commonly refers to corals by their trade names, which vary by geographical region and the local vernacular. These designations and trade names are transmitted through the supply chain and are what the consumer sees at the retail level. ,GHQWLI\LQJDJHPDVDSUHFLRXVFRUDOLVQRWGLI¿FXOWIRUDQ experienced gemologist. The task of properly identifying its original species, however, is better left to the specialist in the lab. Sometimes, the same species produces material with different trade names due to different colors and distribution. Consumers and jewelers are increasingly requesting VSHFL¿FLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWSUHFLRXVFRUDOVSDUWLFXODUO\WKHLU species, mainly due to the perceptions of value that different types of coral have in the market. 72 InColor ʜ Summer 2018 Ɣ Aka, Moro or Oxblood:'DUNUHGWRYHU\GDUNUHGFRUDOV OHQJWKZLVHZKLWHLQWHULRUVRPHWLPHVFDOOHGsoulIURPCorallium japonicumOLYHVLQ-DSDQHVHZDWHUVDWWRPIDQ shape coral with an average height of 20cm, trunk diameter of 12mm, weight of 200g. Dark red saturated oxblood colored beads or cabochons are among the most sought after precious coral varieties worldwide, especially in large sizes that are rare. Aka means red in Japanese. Ɣ0RPR&HUDVXRORRU6DWVXPD Bright rewd, salmon, RUDQJH DQG ÀHVK OHQJWKZLVH ZKLWH LQWHULRU IURP Pleurocorallium elatius (also known as Corallium elatius OLYHVLQ -DSDQHVHDQG7DLZDQHVHZDWHUVDWWRPIDQVKDSH coral with average height of 35cm, trunk diameter of 35mm, ZHLJKWRIJEUDQFKHVPD\UHDFKRYHURQHPHWHULQVL]H as this variety is the largest type of precious coral. Artistic coral carvings, namely of Asian manufacture, are usually made from this precious coral. Momo means peach in the Japanese language. Ɣ$QJHO 6NLQ %RNp RU 0DJDL 'HOLFDWH ÀHVK SLQN ZLWK GLIIHUHQW LQWHQVLWLHV IURP D UDUH YDULHW\ RI Pleurocorallium elatius (also known as Corallium elatius OLYHVLQZDWHUVRI -DSDQDQG7DLZDQDWWRPIDQVKDSHFRUDOZLWKDYerage height of 35cm, trunk diameter of 25mm, weight of 500g. The lovely pink of this almost albino precious coral KDVPDQ\D¿FLRQDGRVLQWKHKLJKHQGMHZHOU\VHJPHQWDQG is probably the most popular coral variety after the traditional Mediterranean red coral. Ɣ3XUH:KLWHRU6KLURMilky white, sometimes with red RUSLQNVSHFNVIURPPleurocorallium konojoi (also known as Corallium konjoi OLYHVLQZDWHUVRI9LHWQDPDQG+DLQDQDW WRPIDQVKDSHFRUDOZLWKDYHUDJHKHLJKWRIFP trunk diameter of 25mm, weight of 500g. This coral is somewhat similar in shape to Momo and Boké, but the color is overall white, hence the name shiro in Japanese. www.Gemstone.org InColor Ɣ Midway, Rosato or White/Pink: 9HLQHGZKLWHRUSLQN VRPHWLPHVZLWKUHGVSHFNVRUXQLIRUPFOHDUSLQNIURPPleurocorallium secundum (also known as Corallium secundum  LQZDWHUVRI+DZDLLDQG0LGZD\,VODQGDWWRPIDQ shape coral with average height of 25cm, trunk diameter of 15mm, weight of 200g. Ɣ Deep Sea or Shinkai: Bright white, clear pink or white SRPHJUDQDWH ZLWK UHG YHLQV RU VSRWV IURP Hemicorallium laauense (sometimes suggested as Corallium secundum  in waters of Midway, northwest of Emperor Seamont, at  WR P IDQVKDSH FRUDO ZLWK DYHUDJH KHLJKW RI 30cm, trunk diameter of 10mm, weight of 150g. The most striking characteristic of these corals is the color distribution, where a uniform white to pink background is decorated with reddish veins, cracks or spots. Graduated strand of deep red oxblood or aka coral (Corallium Ɣ Garnet: Pomegranate color with different shades of uni- japonicumͿĨƌŽŵ:ĂƉĂŶ͘/ƚŝƐƚŚĞŵŽƐƚƐŽƵŐŚƚĂŌĞƌǀĂƌŝĞƚLJǁŚĞŶ IRUPSLQNIURPHemicorallium regale (sometimes suggested ŝŶƚŚĞŚŝŐŚĞƐƚƋƵĂůŝƚLJ͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗Śŝŝ>ŝŚŽƌĂů>ƚĚͿ as Corallium secundum  OLYHV LQ +DZDLLDQ ZDWHUV DW  WRPSDUDOOHOVKDSHFRUDOZLWKDYHUDJHKHLJKWRIFP YDULRXVGHSWKVLQWKHVRXWKRI6LFLO\RIWHQEURNHQEUDQFKHV WUXQNGLDPHWHURIPPZHLJKWRIJXVXDOO\VPDOOLQVL]H or trunks with average height of 7-10cm, trunk diameter of It is distinguished by its characteristic color, hence the name PPFROOHFWHGDVVHGLPHQWVQRWDVDSURGXFWRIKDUYHVW garnet. Harvest ceased in 1981 due to the high costs of the similar deposits have been reported in the Alboran Sea, south of Spain. It is interesting to note that these marine operation. Ɣ Misu, Missu or Miss: 3LQNWRYLROHWXQLIRUPFRORUIURP deposits with dead coral have a geological origin and are Hemicorallium sulcatum (sometimes suggested as Coral- considered sedimentary formations. The famous Sciacca lium secundum OLYHVDWWRPLQZDWHUVQRUWKRIWKH RFFXUHQFH DYHUDJLQJ P LQ VWUDWL¿FDWLRQ WKLFNQHVV ZDV 3KLOLSSLQHV 7DLZDQ -DSDQ %RVR 3HQLQVXOD  ORQJVKDSH found in 1875, and similar deposits have been reported in coral with average height of 25cm, trunk diameter of 15mm, the Alboran Sea, south of Spain. weight of 200g. Ɣ Sardinian or Mediterranean: Uniform red with medi- Coral Treatments and Imitations There are various processes to change the appearance XPWRVWURQJVDWXUDWLRQIURPCorallium rubrumOLYHVLQWKH Mediterranean and Atlantic areas of northern Africa at 60 to DQGRUGXUDELOLW\RISUHFLRXVFRUDO7KHVHLQFOXGH¿VVXUH¿OOPEXVKVKDSHFRUDOZLWKDYHUDJHKHLJKWRIFPWUXQN LQJKHDWLQJG\LQJDQGLPSUHJQDWLRQZLWKDUWL¿FLDOSRO\PHUV GLDPHWHU RI PP ZHLJKW RI J 0RVW KLVWRULFDO DUWLIDFWV and coating. Surface waxing with a colorless agent, on the are embellished with Mediterranean coral, since it is the other hand, is not considered a treatment, but rather a normal most popular variety and is responsible for the association lapidary procedure as it is understood by industry standards and, therefore, corals that were processed and polished usof precious color with the color red. Ɣ Sciacca: 2UDQJH SLQN DQG GDUN VPRN\ RUDQJH FRORU LQJFRORUOHVVZD[PXVWQRWEHFODVVL¿HGDVWUHDWHGFRUDO $QXPEHURUQDWXUDODQGDUWL¿FLDOSURGXFWVKDYHEHHQXVHG from Corallium rubrum IRXQG LQ JHRORJLFDO VHGLPHQWV DW to imitate coral, including paste, plastics, porcelain, vegetable ivory (also known as tagua, corozo or jarina), dyed bone, barium sulphate with plastic, chalcedony and dyed marble. ,Q WKH V 3LHUUH *LOVRQ LQWURGXFHG DQ DUWL¿FLDO SURGXFW composed of calcite powder and pigmentation referred to in the trade as synthetic coral or Gilson coral. All of these coral imitations are easily detected using visual observation and standard gemological techniques. Coral and CITES dƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ŚĂŶĚ ĨĂƐŚŝŽŶŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƉƌĞĐŝŽƵƐ ĐŽƌĂů ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ known in Torre del Greco, near Naples, Italy, for centuries and ƚŚĞƚŽǁŶŝƐƐƟůůƌĞŐĂƌĚĞĚĂƐƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚĐĂƉŝƚĂůŽĨĐŽƌĂů͘EŽƚĞƚŚĞ reddish veins or spots in the white to pinkish color of the deepsea coral, Hemicorallium laauense͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗ŶnjŽ>ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽ^ƌůͿ International Colored Gemstone Association CITES—The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (also known as the Washington Convention)—was established in 1975. CITES plays a crucial role in protecting biodiversity and contributes to the sustainability of the various industries that rely on biological resources. 7KHUHDUHWKUHHOHYHOVRISURWHFWLRQLQ&,7(6$SSHQGL[, (species that cannot be traded internationally for primarily InColor ʜ Summer 2018 73 InOrganic 'ĞŽŐƌĂƉŚŝĐĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƐŽͲĐĂůůĞĚDĞĚŝƚĞƌƌĂŶĞĂŶŽƌ^ĂƌĚŝŶŝĂŶĐŽƌĂůCorallium rubrum͘^ŚŽǁŶŝŶLJĞůůŽǁĂƌĞƚŚĞůŽĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨĚĞĂĚĐŽƌĂůĚĞƉŽƐŝƚƐŝŶůďŽƌĂŶ;^ƉĂŝŶͿĂŶĚ^ĐŝĂĐĐĂ;/ƚĂůLJͿ͘;ĚĂƉƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ/:KŽƌĂůŽŽŬ͖ŝŵĂŐĞ'ŽŽŐůĞDĂƉƐͿ 'ĞŽŐƌĂƉŚŝĐĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞWĂĐŝĮĐKĐĞĂŶƉƌĞĐŝŽƵƐĐŽƌĂůƐ;WůĞƵƌŽĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵƐĞĐƵŶĚƵŵ͕,ĞŵŝĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵůĂĂƵĞŶƐĞ͕ Hemicorallium regaleͿ͘;ĚĂƉƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ/:KŽƌĂůŽŽŬ͖ŝŵĂŐĞ'ŽŽŐůĞDĂƉƐͿ 74 InColor ʜ Summer 2018 www.Gemstone.org InColor 'ĞŽŐƌĂƉŚŝĐĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƐŝĂŶƉƌĞĐŝŽƵƐĐŽƌĂůƐ;WůĞƵƌŽĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵĞůĂƟƵƐ͕WůĂƵƌŽĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵŬŽŶŽũŽŝ͕ŽƌĂůůŝƵŵ ũĂƉŽŶŝĐƵŵ͕,ĞŵŝĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵƐƵůĐĂƚƵŵͿ͘;ĚĂƉƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ/:KŽƌĂůŽŽŬ͖ŝŵĂŐĞ'ŽŽŐůĞDĂƉƐͿ dĂďůĞƐŚŽǁŝŶŐWƌĞĐŝŽƵƐŽƌĂůƐĂŶĚ/d^ƉƉĞŶĚŝĐĞƐ;ĂĚĂƉƚĞĚĨƌŽŵƚŚĞϮϬϭϳCIBJO Coral BookͿ͘ International Colored Gemstone Association InColor ʜ Summer 2018 75 InOrganic ŽƌĂůƌĞĨŽƌĞƐƟŶŐƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐƐƵĐŚĂƐƚŚĞŽŶĞďĞŝŶŐĐĂƌƌŝĞĚŽƵƚŝŶ:ĂƉĂŶ͛ƐŝƌŽƵ/ƐůĂŶĚ͕<ŽƐŚŝWƌĞĨĞĐƚƵƌĞ͕ĂƌĞŬĞLJƚŽĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐƚŽ future sustainability. The data collected so far from the Corallium japonicum ƉůĂŶƚĞĚŝŶĂƌƟĮĐŝĂůďůŽĐŬƐĂƚĂϭϬϬͲŵĚĞƉƚŚŽīĞƌŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƟŶŐ ƉĞƌƐƉĞĐƟǀĞƐ͘;WŚŽƚŽƐ͗WƌĞĐŝŽƵƐŽƌĂůWƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶĂŶĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶĂŶĚ<ƵƌŽƐŚŝŽŝŽůŽŐŝĐĂůZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ&ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶͿ commercial purposes, unless permitted in exceptional cirFXPVWDQFHV Appendix II (species that can be traded internationally for commercial purposes, but within strict regulaWLRQVUHTXLULQJGHWHUPLQDWLRQVRIVXVWDLQDELOLW\DQGOHJDOLW\  and Appendix III (species included at the request of a country, which then needs the cooperation of other countries to help prevent illegal exploitation. No species of precious coral is listed in Appendix I. Common corals used for decoration or trinkets are listed in Appendix II, and include black coral (Antipatharia spp.), blue coral (Heliopora coerulea), stony coral (Scleractinia spp.), organ pipe coral (Tubiporidae spp.)¿UHFRUDO(Milleporidae spp.) and lace coral (Stylasteridae spp.). A request from China in 2008 introduced some varieties of red and pink coral in Appendix III for trade monitoring, namely Corallium elatius, C. japonicum, C. konojoi and C. secundum. The recommendation expired in 2013, but was extended until 2016. As of today, in line with procedure, CITES has not issued the awaited declaration to exclude these species from the Washington Convention. The bulk of precious coral species are not listed in any CITES Appendix. Those not listed are the Sardinian coral (Corallium rubrum), garnet coral (Hemicorallium regale), deep sea coral (Hemicorallium 76 InColor ʜ Summer 2018 laauense), misu coral (Hemicorallium sulcatum) and bamboo coral (Isididae family). Fishing Regulations 'LIIHUHQW FRXQWULHV KDYH UHJXODWLRQV IRU ¿VKLQJ FRUDO DQG ORFDOODZVDSSO\LQWKHLUMXULVGLFWLRQ7KHPDLQ¿VKLQJDUHDV LQFOXGH 7DLZDQ -DSDQ WKH 0HGLWHUUDQHDQ DQG WKH 3DFL¿F islands, Hawaii and Midway. The latter two have very limited harvesting due to the high cost of deep sea operations. In Taiwan, strict regulations have been implemented since February 2009 in order to preserve resources. Only vessels ZLWKFRUDO¿VKHU\OLFHQVHVDUHDOORZHGWRRSHUDWHLQ¿YHGHVLJQDWHGDUHDVDQGWKH\PXVWEH¿WWHGZLWK9HVVHO0RQLWRUing Systems, which report the location by the hour. There is a 220-day operation limit each year and an annual quota of NJSHUYHVVHO)LVKHUPHQPXVWUHFRUGDQGVXEPLW¿VKery logbooks on a daily basis and are subject to random inspections. If they fail to comply, their licenses will be revoked DQGQHYHUUHLVVXHG,QWKHUHZHUHFRUDO¿VKHU\OLFHQVHVFXUUHQWO\WKHUHDUH&RUDOERDWVDOORZHGWRGRFN only at the Suao or Magoong, must notify the authorities before heading out and all harvests must be recorded in detail. In Japan, populations of local red coral (Corallium japoniwww.Gemstone.org InColor Note the delicate structure of the Angel Skin coral beads and the light pink coral tone. More saturated pinks of WůĞƵƌŽĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵĞůĂƟƵƐdo not receive the coveted Angel Skin name and should simply be called ƉŝŶŬĐŽƌĂů͕ŵŽŵŽ͕ satsuma or cerasuolo͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗DƵƐĞŽĚĞůŽƌĂůůŽ͕ŽůĞnjnjŝŽŶĞ>ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽͿ cum, also known as Paracorallium japonicum) were studied in 2009, in both non-harvested and harvested areas off Amami Island in Southern Japan. In the harvested areas, the estimated average age of the coral populations is 10 to 20 years, contrasting with 20 to 40 years—and even 50 to 60 years—in non-harvested coral populations. Since the average age of commercially viable corals is 30 to 40 years, it was suggested that harvested populations PD\UHWXUQWRWKHSUH¿VKLQJOHYHODIWHUDWOHDVWWR\HDUV of rest period. This study indicated that a rotational harvest would be useful for sustainable management. ,QWKH.RFKL3UHIHFWXUHD¿VKLQJSHUPLWLVQHHGHGWRKDUvest coral (no new permits are being issued) during the two DXWKRUL]HG¿VKLQJVHDVRQVIURP0DUFKWR0D\DQG$XJXVWWR December and only in designated areas. After the nets are placed in the deep sea, the boat engines must be turned off to prevent dragging, thus minimizing possible damage to the seabed. Small specimens, sizes 3-7cm, must be returned to the sea. Fishermen must also record their daily activities in a logbook, which is submitted to the proper authorities. A maximum harvest of 750 kg of living coral is allowed per year. A different rule applies in Kagoshima and Okinawa, where WKHSUHIHFWXUDOJRYHUQPHQWVRQO\DOORZ¿VKLQJJHDUWKDWFDQ FDWFKSUHFLRXVFRUDOVVHOHFWLYHO\VXFKDV529V 5HPRWHO\ 2SHUDWHG9HKLFOHV  In the Mediterranean, the General Fisheries Commission IRUWKH0HGLWHUUDQHDQ *)&0 LVDUHJLRQDO¿VKHULHVPDQagement organization established under the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) and has been involved in developing a Regional Management Plan for red coral. In 2011 and 2012, it was recommended to proKLELWFRUDO¿VKLQJDWGHSWKVOHVVWKDQPDQGWKDWRQO\VFXba divers could conduct the harvest, keeping a daily record of all catches by area and depth. It was also recommended that the legal minimum trunk diameter for red coral be at least 7mm (measured within 1cm from the base). In 2014, GFCM members adopted a Guidelines document for the management of Mediterranean red coral populations in the Mediterranean as a transitional measure towards the adoption of a Regional Management Plan, currently in development. Members declared that this resource deserves VSHFL¿F UHVHDUFK WR ¿OO LQ LPSRUWDQW JDSV LQ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ International Colored Gemstone Association Fine light pink coral from PleuroĐŽƌĂůůŝƵŵ ĞůĂƟƵƐ͕ also known as Angel Skin, Boké or Magai. Highly regarded in the trade, it can ƐŽŵĞƟŵĞƐ ƚĂŬĞ Ă ůŽŶŐ ƟŵĞ ƚŽ color match graduated strands, ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ŝŶ ůĂƌŐĞ ƐŝnjĞƐ͘ ;WŚŽƚŽ͗ Śŝŝ>ŝŚŽƌĂů>ƚĚͿ Precious coral is not only used as drilled beads or carved objects, but also fashioned into caboĐŚŽŶƐĂŶĚĨĞĂƚƵƌĞĚŝŶĮŶĞũĞǁelry. Shown here is a white gold and diamond necklace with oxblood or akaŵĂƌƋƵŝƐĞƐŚĂƉĞĚ ĐŽƌĂů ĐĂďŽĐŚŽŶƐ͘ ;WŚŽƚŽ͗ Śŝŝ >ŝŚŽƌĂů>ƚĚͿ Deed red precious corals, like the oxblood or aka ǀĂƌŝĞƟĞƐ͕ĂƌĞŚŝŐŚůLJƌĞŐĂƌĚĞĚĂƐŵĂŝŶŐĞŵ materials in trendy high-end jewelry. A combiŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĚĞĞƉ ĐŽůŽƌ ŝŶƚĞŶƐŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ůĂƌŐĞ ƐŝnjĞƐ ĂƌĞŚĂƌĚƚŽĮŶĚ͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗Śŝŝ>ŝŚŽƌĂů>ƚĚͿ InColor ʜ Summer 2018 77 InOrganic Mediterranean coral drilled beads, ƐƵĐŚĂƐƚŚĞƐĞŝŶĂƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů bunch, served as coinage and were highly valued in remote areas where no coral was found, such as in Tibet and the Kingdom ŽĨĞŶŝŶ͘;WŚŽƚŽ͗DƵƐĞŽĚĞůŽƌĂůůŽ͕ŽůĞnjnjŝŽŶĞ>ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽͿ Fan-shaped Corallium rubrum from the waters near Sardinia, at depths to 1000m in the MediterƌĂŶĞĂŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƚůĂŶƟĐ ĐŽĂƐƚ ŽĨ ŶŽƌƚŚĞƌŶ ĨƌŝĐĂ͘ ;WŚŽƚŽ͗ DƵƐĞŽ ĚĞů ŽƌĂůůŽ͕ ŽůĞnjnjŝŽŶĞ >ŝǀĞƌŝŶŽͿ the actual status in the region and proposed a series of priority lines of research. The GFCM recommendations must be adopted by each Mediterranean country, both in Europe and Africa. Only stricter measures may be implemented or maintained by a single country. Sustainability As a natural harvested gem material, corals have been regulated and monitored to preserve biodiversity in the ecosystems where they thrive. As stated earlier, International bodies such as CITES and FAO, as well as sovereign authorities in many countries have contributed to coral protection with regulations, both international and national. Among the objectives of the CIBJO Coral Book are to identify, address and tackle the challenges and concerns of the industry especially relating to sustainability and traceability. In Japan, the Precious Coral Protection and Development Association and the Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation have been involved in one of the most interesting initiatives on precious coral sustainability. In a protected zone around the Birou island, Kashiwajima in Koshi Prefecture, small Corallium japonicum branches were attached to 60-kg DUWL¿FLDOUHHIJURZLQJEORFNVDQGSODQWHGDWDGHSWKRIP The 3 to 5 year project is monitoring growth rates and so far, there has been encouraging recorded growth before and after transplant. The information collected by this prolonged project could serve as a basis for future reforesting of local sea beds in areas where harvesting is prohibited. In Sardinia, Italy, a local Scuba Divers’ Association is presHQWO\XVLQJ529VQRWWRKDUYHVWWKHORFDOCorallium rubrum, EXWWRFOHDQEURNHQ¿VKLQJQHWVIURPVHDEHGVDQGWRFRQtribute to the repopulation of this precious coral in the area. It is also trying to make a point that, despite present regulaWLRQV WKH XVH RI 529V ZLWK DQ DGHTXDWH OHJDO IUDPHZRUN could serve as a much safer and environmentally compliant method for Mediterranean coral harvesting. Scuba diving at depths of 50m and below is considered to be very risky. CIBJO, an ECOSOC organization under the United Nations, is following these two initiatives, while also exploring possible cooperation with local projects for reef coral growth in hatcheries and re-plantation onsite, as is the case in Fiji where future actions are being considered. Although there are no precious corals in Fiji, participating in such initiatives 78 InColor ʜ Summer 2018 sends a message on the importance of preserving the marine environment. &,%-2 LV DOVR ZRUNLQJ ZLWK D FDUERQ FRQVXOWDQF\ ¿UP Carbon-Expert, to encourage the coral industry to reduce FDUERQHPLVVLRQVWKXVKHOSLQJPLWLJDWHRFHDQDFLGL¿FDWLRQ which also has an impact on carbon-based biodiversity (i.e. shells, pearl-producing mollusks and coral). It is generally recognized that more research should be conducted on precious corals. The gemological literature has very few papers on this subject, but fostering contacts ZLWKWKHVFLHQWL¿FFRPPXQLW\PD\KHOSWKHLQGXVWU\WRLPSOHment measures that will help it exist in better harmony with current sustainability concerns. Acknowledgments 7KHDXWKRUZRXOGOLNHWRWKDQN9LFHQ]R/LYHULQRDQG*HRUJH Lu for their support and photos. About the Author Rui Galopim de Carvalho, FGA-DGA, is vice-president of the CIBJO Coral Commission and the founder of Portugal Gemas Academy. He is also a consulting gemologist and lecturer. (www.portugalgemas.com) www.Gemstone.org