How can you tell if a coral is real or not?

Corals are considered one of the most popular “stones” among jewelers. As popularity increases, so does the number of fakes. There are a lot of imitations of coral:
1. Howlite is a gray mineral with dark veins. The natural shade of the stone is not very attractive, but it is easy to paint. When colored red, it looks a bit like coral. Imitations from howlite are found in Russia, but are not common abroad. 2. Neolith is a mixture of aluminum hydroxide and copper phosphate. The result is uneven rounded blocks with veins. When painted red, it imitates red coral. It can be impregnated with wax to hide polishing defects. Massive colored beads very vaguely resemble coral. 3. Plastic dyes are crude fakes of coral. It is quite easy to distinguish from natural coral – plastic imitations are immediately noticeable. 4. Pressed coral shavings with added plastics, painted. Sold in kiosks and jewelry stores. Does not last long and fades quickly. 5. The most successful imitation of coral was developed in France by P. Gilson. When creating, natural calcite and dye are used. Artificial coral is created under high pressure. This method can produce corals of the following colors: light pink, red, white, pale yellow, oxblood, champagne, pink-orange. Externally, the imitation is similar to natural stone, but has a lower density, is more porous, and contains impurities and artificial additives. The price of artificial coral is much cheaper than natural coral. How to spot fake coral Natural coral can be distinguished from imitation coral by its appearance: natural coral should have visible stripes, a little like annual rings on a tree cut. rice. Parallel growth lines on the surface of a white coral bead A fake Neolithic or howlite can be easily recognized by its high specific gravity when picked up. They are both cold stones, coral is warm. You can recognize pressed coral if you look at it carefully: it is made up of many pieces.
It is very easy to distinguish a fake made of plastic by its appearance. In addition, you can touch it with a hot needle, and you will smell the smell of burnt plastic.
Synthetic Gilson coral does not have the subtle striped pattern seen on natural coral. Synthetics are smooth and homogeneous.
You can carefully examine the place where the hole for the thread is located: here the coral should have the same tone as the outside, and a fake stone may have a gray surface. rice. Dyed Bamboo coralloid beads with lighter center One of the easiest ways to distinguish the calcite that coral is made from from another stone is to drop a drop of hydrochloric or acetic acid. Calcite will fizz upon contact with acid. However, both natural coral, pressed coral, and Gilson coral are composed of calcite, and their reaction to acid will be the same.
To determine whether the color of the coral is of high quality, you need to immerse the jewelry in hot water. The water will be colored if it is a poor-quality imitation. It also leaves marks on the skin, especially if worn on hot days. If the fake is very cheap, the paint in water may come off completely.
If the imitation is done well, it will not be painted; jewelry with synthetic corals also looks impressive and is very inexpensive. But the quality of natural coral is many times superior to any imitations.
Most often, natural coral will have a noticeable texture on the surface that is not removed by staining and polishing. Carefully inspect the coral before purchasing. This way you can distinguish natural samples from synthetic and pressed fakes. It is worth noting that at the moment almost all natural corals on the market for jewelry materials are colored red, pinkish, orange and more exotic shades of blue, yellow, green or bleached to a milky white hue. Coral beads are one of those types of original jewelry made from natural materials that are in demand far beyond the borders of Ukraine. Thanks to the affordable pricing policy, coral beads are quite widespread. Today we will talk about how to distinguish fake coral beads from natural ones.

Testing coral beads with lemon juice

The building material of any coral is calcium carbonate. This material has one interesting feature – it dissolves in any acid in which it is immersed. This feature allows you to check the naturalness of corals using simple lemon juice. In order to carry out the test, you will need to cut lemon and squeeze a small amount of lemon juice into a teaspoon. Then gently drip lemon juice onto the coral beads. The big advantage of this method is that there is no need to use strong chemical acids; lemon juice is enough. So, in 15-20 seconds After you drop lemon juice on the bead, bubbles should appear on it. This reacts between calcium carbonate and the acid found in lemon juice. If such bubbles appear, it means the coral beads are real. When using artificial beads, such a chemical reaction does not occur.

Features of natural coral beads

Typically, artificial coral beads are made from plastic. A distinctive feature of natural beads is that they have a natural texture (oblong veins on the surface). These veins can also be found deep in the corals. Of course, it is very difficult to notice them with the naked eye. The best option is to take a magnifying glass or any other magnifying device. Using a lens, you can see the veins on the beads. The presence of veins, along with the above experiment with lemon juice, is a guarantee that the coral beads are real.

What is dyed coral?

I would also like to highlight the painted coral. In order to increase the cost of beads, they take the most ordinary white coral, which has practically no value, and paint it in various shades. Considering that it is extremely difficult to achieve such a natural color as valuable, noble coral has, our experts immediately identify white coral. The structure of such beads is not expressed (there is practically no texture, since it is camouflaged with paint). And, of course, the paint wears off quite quickly (about 5 years). This is especially clearly visible in those places where fastening with thread occurs. Such coral is of no value. We recommend watching a short video in which we talked about prices, features and clearly showed how to check antique coral beads.

Dyed coral or natural?

Despite the fact that painted coral beads have the above-mentioned features, sometimes it is difficult for a person who has not dealt with coral to distinguish a fake from an original. The easiest way is to take a photo of the beads and send the photo for evaluation and determination. Over 7 years of working with products made from natural old coral, we have gained enough experience to determine from a photo whether the coral is natural or not. Moreover, you can evaluate your product from the photo. For evaluation and determination, send photos to our Viber / Telegram +380668107503 If you are unable to send a photo – call us! We will be happy to advise on all matters relating to the sale and valuation of antique coral beads and we will offer the best price! You can find out more about the varieties and costs by visiting page of our website, dedicated to the value of antique coral beads.

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