Coral is one of the organic gemstones (along with, e.g., Amber and Pearl). It has been appreciated and treasured since ancient times, lovely to look at, lovely to feel.
Coral from the Mediterranean Sea off the island of Sicily has fed the appetite for this gemstone in Europe and North Africa and the near East since antiquity, while Coral from the China Sea off the coast of Taiwan seems to have been the mainstay of its trade in China and environs.
The colour of gemstone Coral ranges from pale pink through orange to red.