Corals and Fossil Corals

All of these coral cabochons are organically-based gems–they were once part of living things. Billions of tiny, soft-bodied coral animals lived in shallow seas and secreted out chemicals to form protective places to live. After the animals died, the mineral “housing” remains, available to make into beautiful, naturally-patterned gemstones. Fossil Corals are tens to hundreds of thousands of years old, often mined inland on islands which were once reefs. Modern Corals are harvested directly from the sea and cut into gem cabochons.