Is All Red Coral Dyed?

Red Coral Overview

• All red coral is dyed – either by nature or by man.
• Unfortunately, what is sold as red coral stone is often an imitation using plastic, glass, bone, and dyed shells.
• After harvesting the living material is removed and the skeletal material only is worked into jewelry.
• The red color is an organic dye produced naturally and some of which stains the hard skeleton as it grows.

How to Detect Dyed Red Coral

• The easiest way to determine the coloration of coral is to spot it with acetone using a cotton swab.
• Fine specimens of attractive pink-to-red coral are the most desirable yet among the least available.

Is Red Coral Natural?

• Precious coral, or red coral, is the common name given to a genus of marine corals, Corallium.
• Red corals grow on rocky seabottom with low sedimentation, typically in dark environments—either in the depths or in dark caverns or crevices.
• Natural Red Coral Gemstone always tells its origin story when observed under magnification.

Regulations and Characteristics

• Red Coral is heavily regulated under F.A.O. and the EU for conservation and sustainability.
• Genuine Red Coral has a distinctive texture with visible pores and a natural matte finish.
• Fake Red Coral may have a smooth surface, artificial shine, and a uniform color.