Coral beads

Along with pearls, coral is one of the most valuable jewelry stones donated to us by the sea. He conquers girls with his unique shade of red.

Beads from coral - this is a real classic at all, which has not gone out of fashion for several centuries in a row. Let's get to know them better.

Coral - a unique stone, which for a long time remained a mystery to humanity. Scientists struggled over which category corals belong to, and only in the 18th century did they realize that they were skeletons of polyps — invertebrate organisms that live in the deep sea. That is, in fact, these are not stones and not minerals at all, but they are so called in jewelry. Branches of corals, resembling trees, are formed due to the release of a special calcareous substance by polyps.

The length of some of them can reach 40 cm, and their thickness is usually small - up to 4 cm. To create jewelry, use the branching points of corals. These marine inhabitants are of different colors, the most popular are red, but there are also white, pink, black, blue, transparent and opaque. The amazing properties of corals were noted in antiquity. They were especially valued in ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt and other African countries. The ancient Greeks believed that the stone prolongs life, and the Mexicans still believe that it drives away evil spirits.

In the Middle Ages, coral jewelry was a symbol of purity, so only unmarried women wore them. Today, the special healing properties of coral are known; this stone relieves fatigue, improves memory, soothes nerves, helps fight insomnia, and even gives the gift of foresight. It is recommended to wear travelers and sailors, because the stone protects on the way, preventing violence and natural disasters. It’s not just that they call him the “son of the sea”.

Sardinian coral is the rarest and most expensive red mineral. This is a solid stone of exceptional quality, which is highly valued by jewelers. As the name implies, it is mined only off the coast of Sardinia in small quantities. Therefore, to become the owner of jewelry from Sardinian coral is a great success.

Red coral speciesThe only difference between them is that the classic mineral is smooth and the spongy has a porous structure, due to which it is easily colored. Therefore suitable for creating various decorations and other decorative purposes.

In addition to coral, the sea gave us pearls and nacre, which look great both individually and in one piece of jewelry. Due to the variety of colors of these minerals, you can choose an interesting color range, although the classic - red corals and white pearls, looks no less remarkable.

The combination of these two minerals - a classic combination, red and blue look great together. This is one of those rare stones that do not possess either the play of light or transparency, but occupy an honorable place in the jewelry list.

Volcanic lava in jewelry is a stone called basalt. With proper processing, it is perfectly combined with various gems. Especially spectacularly porous graphite matte stone looks with glossy red corals.

Another amazing stone with a unique pattern that never repeats. They are divided into more than 30 different groups, therefore, acquiring beads with agate, you will become the owner of exclusive jewelry.

This amazing sea mineral amazes with a variety of colors. Select the most popular of them.

• Red - the most valuable of all. The most popular are those that are mined in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and Japan.
• Pink The second name of these minerals is “angel skin”. Have a delicate pink color, are the closest relatives of red.
• Black (antipatarii) are common everywhere. Some grow in such shallow waters that even divers can get them. Due to the fact that they are very actively mined, some countries have banned their exports.

• Blue - the only shallow corals that are used to create jewelry. The color of their skeletons varies from gray to blue, because they are very porous, they need to be further strengthened and filled.
• White. This white coral, which is found in nature, is not used in jewelry. To create white coral beads, use bleached and filled porous minerals of low quality.

This is a very romantic mineral and it is believed that it is suitable for girls who want to meet pure and bright love.

It is not advisable to choose red corals for emotional, hot-tempered women - a stone will only strengthen these qualities. They are more suitable neutral white or pink mineral.

Also dim coral is recommended to wear to future mothers - it will protect against miscarriage and contribute to easy childbirth.

Astrologers believe that he has no contraindications, it fits almost all signs of the zodiac. The highest energy bond in the mineral with Pisces and Capricorn. Fish, he will help to gain self-confidence, which they often lack. A pragmatic Capricorn give romanticism and a little recklessness.

The first thing you need to understand - natural coral can not be cheap. The death of reefs, high demand and slow recovery entailed the high cost of this mineral. Today, red coral is a rarity, the cost of a single bead can reach $ 50, and even whole beads will cost a fortune.

Therefore, jewelers have learned to imitate him using "dead" spongy skeletons. They quite have a place to be, but they must necessarily be marked “them.” (Imitation).

There are also fake ornaments made of polymeric resins, glass and even plastic, which allow the use of modern technology.

We should also highlight the "pressed" corals. They are made from crushed crushed shells, aragonite mineral or lime spar.

It will not be difficult for a knowledgeable person to distinguish natural stone:

• It has a radiant structure, and the pressed one consists of a crumb.
• Raw coral is matte, so the finished beads are rubbed with wax-based special polishes. Accordingly, if it is heated, the decoration will lose its gloss. In any case, the luster of this mineral is always soft, “oily”, unlike the glass luster of fakes.
• If you have a volumetric coral necklace, you can conduct a home experiment on a single bead. If it is heated for a long time, it becomes gray, cracked and crumbled. The fake will turn black and begin to produce a plastic smell.
• If it is a pity to set fire to a decoration, put it in water. Natural stone will absorb the liquid and become brighter, and the artificial will remain the same as before.
• From artificial corals can go paint - if the water turns pink, it is a sign of a fake. When scraping decoration paint also peel off.

Red coral beads will be perfectly combined in the images made on the principle of the classic three - black, white and red.

Therefore, such a decoration will be a worthy addition to the business image. If you add them even to the most boring black or gray suit, you will instantly draw attention to yourself with a bright accent in the image. Of course, your style of decoration should be modest and concise, fit into the business dress code.

Red beads will look great with a black or white evening dress. They can be made part of the wedding image, if they match the stated style. For example, they will unconditionally approach a dress with ethno elements if you are planning a wedding in the Russian or Ukrainian style.

Separately, you can select images in a nautical style. Coral, being the “son of the sea”, is ideal for a striped vest, striped dress, blue blazer and other cruise clothing. They can even be combined with a dark blue or white swimsuit, if you go to a beach party.

Bright beads will suit any monophonic clothing - dress, shirt, blouse. The exception is the images in the style of boho. If you are a fan of bohemian chic, feel free to wear a voluminous coral necklace with a colorful dress, a top and jeans or a colorful tunic.

• Light summer look: a relaxed white shirt, a short skirt with a tropical print, a volume brown bag, sunglasses and a bright accent of the image - massive coral beads. You can go to work if you are not required to comply with strict dress code, and in the evening go to a cocktail with friends.

• Another summer look that is suitable for a solemn event, and for a party. A modest white chiffon dress is complemented by several strings of coral beads and a massive coral bracelet. Lipstick matched to the jewelry. The image is completed with a motley clutch embroidered with beads.

• Going on a sea voyage, give preference to a khaki sundress, throw a light chiffon kimono on top and complement the image with massive coral beads. So that you can walk around the coast a lot, choose comfortable sandals on a flat sole, and everything you need along the way will fit into a capacious bag.