Coral is the skeletal accumulation of marine coral polyps, shaped like branches and antlers, with colorful colors that look like blooming flowers. There are many types of coral, divided by color, such as red coral, white coral, golden coral, blue coral, and black coral. Among them, red coral is mainly used as a gem. Its color is bright, its texture delicate and lustrous, and it has a unique waxy luster. It is one of the world’s three major organic gems together with pearls and amber.
High-quality Environment for Growth
Red coral is deep-sea coral that lives at the depths of 100 to 2,000 meters and is mostly distributed in deep seas with volcanic rocks. Red coral has high environmental requirements; not only must the water quality be clean and the water temperature suitable, but it also requires the conditions of low illumination, fast water flow, sufficient oxygen, rich nutrients, and high salinity. Therefore, there are very few sea areas that meet the living conditions for red coral, and only a few sea areas such as the Taiwan Strait, the Japan Strait, the Baltic Sea Strait and the Mediterranean Sea that are suitable for its growth.
Slow Growth Rate
Coral grows extremely slowly, especially red coral. The so-called “Millennium Coral Red” grows one inch every 20 years, and only 1,000 grams in 300 years. Because of its slow growth rate, limited sea area for growth, and difficult collection, the yield is very rare.
In recent years, with the increase of marine pollution, the environment for coral polyps has been destroyed, and there are fewer and fewer sea areas that produce coral. In addition, the growth rate of coral is far behind the rate of extraction, which makes coral a rare commodity, and high-quality red coral rarer yet.
Ancient Marine Treasure
Coral is the oldest marine treasure on the Earth. It appeared about 500 million years ago. It combines the essence of Heaven, Earth, sun and moon, and contains the aura of the sea. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a rare treasure by the East and the West.
Coral can ward off evil, bring happiness, wisdom, wealth and auspiciousness. In Buddhism, coral is listed as one of the Seven Treasures and is often used to make offerings to Buddha or to decorate statues of gods and buddhas. The emperors of all dynasties in China have a tradition of wearing coral to exorcise evil spirits at birth.
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Coral is not only a treasure for exorcising evil spirits, but also a precious medicinal material. Compendium of Materia Medica states that coral can improve eyesight, stop bleeding, and calm the nerves. Wearing coral can often help regulate the endocrine system, promote blood circulation, and have significant effects on bone health and beauty.
