Coral materials
Skeletal materials formed by corals; precious coral is only one part of this category, which must be subdivided by taxon, treatment and CITES status.
What this family is
Colour is not what splits this family. The dividing lines are taxonomic, the treatment applied, and where the species sits under CITES. Precious coral is restricted by CIBJO to Corallium, Pleurocorallium and Hemicorallium, so it is no synonym for coral in general.
The whole order Antipatharia sits in Appendix II with no annotation on that line, which means a permit regime requiring a non-detriment finding rather than a sales ban, and bleaching there can produce a golden appearance.
Scope of this family
Skeletal materials formed by corals; precious coral is only one part of this category, which must be subdivided by taxon, treatment and CITES status.
Member entries (12)
Market names not to be used as a product name
Recorded on member entries of this family. Each name links to the entry whose page explains the ruling and its source.
All misleading and prohibited trade names across the site: Misleading and prohibited trade names
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Market name | Recorded on | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Angel skin coral | Pink Coral | Not to be used in any position |
Treatments recorded on member entries
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| Treatment | Member entries | Disclosure requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Filled / Fracture-filled | Bamboo Coral, Black Coral, Coral, Golden Coral, Pink Coral, Precious Coral, Sponge Coral, White Coral | Name the filler (resin, oil, polymer, glass or lead glass) and bear in mind that fillings can be unstable and may deteriorate or change colour over time. LMHC Information Sheet #3 treats corundum with glass in two ways: glass in fissures or cavities is still reported on natural corundum as a filling, and only a badly fractured single piece infused throughout, or small fragments bound together with glass, is reported as a manufactured product. |
| Dyed | Bamboo Coral, Black Coral, Coral, Golden Coral, Pink Coral, Precious Coral, Sponge Coral, White Coral | Must be disclosed. Dye may fade, bleed or dissolve in solvents (alcohol, acetone), and dyed material must not be labelled "natural colour"; dyed jadeite counts as B/C jade and must be conspicuously labelled; dyed agate and chalcedony are extremely common. |
| Bleached | Bamboo Coral, Black Coral, Coral, Golden Coral, Pink Coral, Precious Coral, Sponge Coral, White Coral | Bleaching may affect the durability of the material. Codes differ on whether routine pearl bleaching needs its own declaration (compare the rows on this page); chemical bleaching that changes the structure, or bleaching followed by impregnation, must be disclosed. |
| Coated | Bamboo Coral, Black Coral, Coral, Golden Coral, Pink Coral, Precious Coral, Sponge Coral, White Coral | Must be disclosed. Coatings may be abraded, flake off or discolour, and coating is not a permanent enhancement; the coating material must be disclosed (e.g. Mystic Topaz is coated topaz), and the treated effect must not be implied to be natural. |
| Waxed | Coral, Pink Coral | Must be disclosed. CIBJO's care annex counts wax among the treatments that are not permanent, so the matching care must also be passed on to the buyer: keep it away from solvents, household chemicals and heat. |
| Impregnated | Pink Coral, White Coral | Must be disclosed. Where the impregnation also brings colour, as in jadeite that has been acid-treated and then impregnated with polymer and colour, or Zachery-treated turquoise, the colouring is part of what has to be declared. |
Care codes on member entries
Member entries cite these CIBJO special-care codes: special-care code a, special-care code c, special-care code h, special-care code i, special-care code j, special-care code k. General gem care gives the full wording of every code.
Where members are recorded
Some member entries record the localities where their materials are found; Recorded localities shows them on a sketch map and lists them by continent.
Names
- 简体中文
- 珊瑚材料
- 繁體中文
- 珊瑚材料
- English
- Coral materials
- 日本語
- サンゴ材料
Authority source
- Authority source
- Review status
- Reviewed against CIBJO, GB/T and IMA boundaries.
Shared classification
All 12 members share these values:
- Origin class
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural organic and biogenic materials
- Identity level
- Organic or biogenic material
- Mineral chemical class
- Not applicable
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown