Floral Coral Power!

Precious coral or red coral is the common name given to Corallium rubrum and several related species of marine coral. The distinguishing characteristic of precious corals is their durable and intensely colored red or pink skeleton, which is used for making jewelry.

The hard skeleton of red coral branches is naturally matte, but can be polished to a glassy shine. It exhibits a range of warm reddish pink colors from pale pink to deep red; the word coral is also used to name such colors. Owing to its intense and permanent coloration and glossiness, precious coral skeletons have been harvested since antiquity for decorative use. Coral jewelry has been found in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials, and continues to be made to the present day.

Red corals grow on rocky seabottom with low sedimentation, typically in dark environments--either in the depths or in dark caverns or crevices. The original species, rubrum, is found mainly in the Mediterranean Sea. It grows at depths from 10 to 300 m, although the shallower of these habitats have been largely depleted by harvesting. In the underwater caves of Alghero, Sardinia (the "Coral Riviera") it grows at the depth of 4 m. The same species is also found at Atlantic sites near the Strait of Gibraltar and at the Cape Verde Islands. Other Corallium species are native to the western Pacific, notably around Japan and Taiwan; these occur at depths of 350 to 1500 m in areas with strong currents.

Coral, if you are a Jul B. Dizon Jewellery fan, is a favorite material that we work with. Here are some of the pieces that my sisters and I have recently designed and brothers created. A lot of the items here are sold or are orders but please feel free to drop by our branches in Peninsula and EDSA Shangri-la to have your own oceanic wonder.





















Thanks to Wikipedia for the information about Coral.

Crazy for Coral!!

One of the most beautiful materials that we often use in jewellery making is CORAL. In this blog, I will inform you of the nature, characteristics, beliefs and how to care for this exquisite gift from Mother Nature.
(Sorry guys, but this one is for the gals).

This bangle has an antique coral with unique carvings. We used jade leaves and amethyst to bring out the color of the coral. A butterfly with diamonds are added to give off sparkle against the opaque stone.

Corals are marine animals from the class Anthozoa and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps. They belong in a group that are important reef builders and found in tropical oceans, which secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. They are found in quite a number of colors such as deep red orange, red, light orange, pink, light pink, white, black and even blue. The light pink is also known as Angel Skin and it is often quite rare. Unprocessed, coral is matte. It is not until it has been polished that it takes on that beautiful shine.

This flower carved ring is a bit thick so I decided to add the design of vines and leaves on the side and on the band to make the ring even chunkier than it already is. I also used rose gold which made the pink hue of the coral blend perfectly with the metal. A butterfly with diamonds is perched on top of the rose to give a realistic garden touch to it.



Coral is often porous, full of holes or cracked, and in these cases it is of lesser quality. Coral of that kind is sometimes filled with coloured wax to improve its appearance. High-quality coral is of an even colour and free of cracks, blotches, striations and holes. Since genuine untreated coral is rare, it does fetch good prices. For that reason, anyone being offered what appears to be high-quality coral cheaply would do well to view the matter with a certain degree of scepticism. The best thing to do is to purchase one's high-quality coral jewellery from a reputable merchant like Jul B. Dizon Jewellery Salon (plugging, hihihi).

As you can see, the color of this coral is red orange which means that it is of good quality. The carving is intricate and the size of the coral is about 3 inches wide. It is a perfect size for a brooch. In this case, we added green emerald carved leaves and pearls and small diamonds to soften the already vivid colors.


Corals are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Scientists have predicted that over 50% of the coral reefs in the world may be destroyed by the year 2030, and because of this, they are generally protected through environmental laws. A coral reef can easily be swamped in algae if there are too many nutrients in the water. Coral will also die if the water temperature changes by more than a degree or two beyond its normal range or if the salinity of the water drops. In an early symptom of environmental stress, corals expel something called zooxanthellae. This is the process where the corals eventually become colorless as the stress reveals the white of their calcium carborate skeletons; an event known as coral bleaching. So if the coral is red, it means that it has grown in a stress free environment where the temperature is just right and the level of nutrients in the water is balanced thus making it the most expensive color.



Coral jewellery should be kept in a safe place and from time to time cleaned with a soft, damp towel. If the surface of the coral does get scratched, the jeweller can have it repolished.

In many cultures, especially Chinese, red corals are worn as jewellery to protect the wearer against evil spirits or illnesses. Coral, it is said, relieves tension and fear and promotes positive forms of social life.


In ancient faith practices the custom of putting a necklace of red corals round the neck of a small child. Young girls too are often given a fine coral necklace as their first piece of jewellery. Yet coral is more than that: in some wonderful way coral reflects the complexion of its wearer, developing a positively irresistible effect on her bare skin. Coral is one of the most attractive decorative materials imaginable. Again and again, it inspires international designers to create magnificent pieces.

This is a photo of a bangle that I designed wherein the coral and jade mounting may be worn as a brooch/pendant and when attached to a cuff, it becomes a very decorative bangle.



Unfortunately for those interested in these pieces, they are all sold and already being enjoyed by fellow coral lovers. I suggest that if you have the coral in a setting that you do not particularly like, bring it over so we can redesign it to something that you will surely love to wear.

Jul B. Dizon Jewellery Salon
The Peninsula Manila
(632) 8864638

EDSA Shangri-la Hotel
(632) 6347448
www.juldizon.com
info@juldizon.com