Coral, a sustainable stone
28-10-2022
Coral has been a material by man for thousands of years, even with different uses. Amulet, symbol, precious material: coral can rightly be defined as a "sustainable stone".
In the past, coral powder was even used as a medicine by Eastern populations. Known for its apotropaic value, coral carries with it a more than millennial history. Coral finds have also been found in recent times in the excavations of Pompeii.
Coral harvesting, a millenary activity
If coral harvesting has been going on for millennia and is the protagonist of stories that cross peoples, does it risk ending? Is the coral used in jewelry in danger of extinction? Are we spectators of a real annihilation of this organic stone, which is also very important for the health of our seas?
The answer to all of this is "no"!
Coral can be safely defined as an organic stone, a sustainable stone.
It should be emphasized that the coral used in jewelry, called by convention "precious coral", is absolutely different from over seven thousand different species of coral that exist in the world. The precious coral, the one used for the making of jewels, includes only seven species.
In the laboratories of Torre del Greco, coral is still processed today in the same way as when it all began, that is about two hundred years ago. Being the coral, together with the cameo, the main form of economic support for many families of the city, it is the sustainability and the protection of the coral is our main concern. This is why, together with Assocoral, ours and the other historic coral and cameo companies of Torre del Greco are diligently committed to its protection, promoting good practices over the last fifty years, which have led to the substantial modification of coral fishing. From fishing carried out with nets, we have moved on to selective harvesting, carried out exclusively by professional and recognized divers.
In the last 50 years we have been promoters of good practices that have led to the substantial modification of coral fishing, passing from fishing carried out with nets to selective harvesting carried out by professional divers.
Corallo, between sustainability and the environment
Some coral families risk extinction not for their collection, but for various environmental problems, such as pollution and overheating of ever. For the protection of coral, a sustainable stone, many corals have been included in the CITES convention. Several studies carried out by universities and scientific centers show how the initiatives undertaken for coral sustainability are absolutely effective, such as the limitation of licenses for divers, the rotation of schools, the minimum size and the limited quantities of coral collected. All of this makes coral a sustainable organic stone.
Finally, but not less important, In the same manufacturing process no chemicals are used, but only water and the processing residue is calcium carbonate, a material present in nature and which does not cause any environmental damage.
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