Old Sth Indian Corals, hand-cut natural gemstones. Coral is one of the organic, non-crystalline gemstones, along wit, for example, Amber and Pearl. Coral grows in many parts of the seas and oceans of the world; gemstone Coral, “Royal” Coral, is much more rare and is distinguished from ordinary base coral by its colour, always in shades of the red spectrum, from pale pink through orange to deep red, and also by its density, allowing for greater ease in cutting and carving, for taking a high polish and for greater durability.
Gemstone Coral is found in only a few of the world’s seas, and nowadays the only significant source is the Mediterranean Sea, itself a diminishing resource. Virtually all the old Sth Indian gem-quality Corals is originally from the Mediterranean; it was imported by British traders, in branch form, from the mid 1700s.