Original Message:   I believe most is antique from the Mediterranean

And the red and pink corals from the Med are now an endangered species due to over-harvesting. The same thing has happened in the Pacific. From the Soft Flex site: Harvests of red corals from Mediterranean waters have been reduced by 66 percent from 1985 to 2001. So much so, that the jewelry making industry there, (once famous for its red corals) is forced to import. A record of combined harvest from the Mediterranean Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean shows that 445 metric tons were harvested in 1984 compared to just 50 metric tons in 2004! It has taken only 20 years to deplete the harvest to such extreme lows. (A little trivia here: 1 metric ton=2,205 pounds!) I suggest that everyone consider not buying any contemporary coral! Copyright 2024 All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users

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