By the way, for anyone who doesn't know, coral is my most favorite bead material, and is a topic I have studied very carefully for a long period. My coral bead lecture is a must-see presentation. Added to that, I have always liked fossils, and have collected them over the years, but not exhaustively. I won't show my collection here, but only some specimens that make my points.

In 2002, from Indonesia, a new line of fossil coral cabochons and jewelry made from them began to circulate. I thought (and think) this stuff is really beautiful. In 2003, at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, I purchased the cab we see here—it being very typical of this Indonesian material. The natural color is buff or tan, with very visible polyp scars (the calcium cup in which the coral animal sits and from which it grows). Very similar fossil coral material is found in several locations, including Madagascar, China, and the US. The coral has become agatized—meaning the calcium has leached away and been replaced by micro-crystalline quartz (agate). So the material is essentially a patterned agate (similar to what happened with petrified wood).

And, by-the-by, this material is clearly the inspiration for the manufacture of millefiori glass in antiquity—the object having been to copy in glass the patterns of agatized coral. (This is another topic that interests me immensely.)

JDA.

Today, on the Net, I have read that Indonesian fossil coral is now being "heat-treated" to enhance its color. What the process and result may be is not stated.

Last year, while I was in Italy, I saw (in a shop window) a group of new silver jewelry items set with Indonesian (?) fossil coral, that had obviously been color-enhanced, and made red. I think this is nothing more than an inevitability, if only because lots of coral is now dyed red (particularly from China), and people EXPECT coral to be red. Unfortunately, I didn't return to photograph these pieces.

I assumed that I would see this new stuff this year, at Tucson, though I must have missed it.

Thankfully, while I was at The Bead Museum this past week, I found the store buyer had acquired a nice selection of this material—and I eagerly bought several pieces. I'll show what I acquired.

The photo we see here shows all of the pieces I bought, that I'll post in detail next. What I want you to notice is that the naturally-buff material has been color-enhanced to become red. Since the material is agate (and no longer coral), we can assume it has not been dyed, but rather is a beizen product (colored with elemental liquids, copying the processes of nature). This has been a specialty of the gem industry at Idar-Oberstein, Germany for over 100 years, and was transferred to China about fifteen years ago.

So, just as most carnelian is manufactured, and a speciality of India and Germany, the process is now used extensively in China to manufacture carnelian. But its application for fossil coral is entirely new in the present marketplace. Fundamentally, the Chinese are now MAKING fossil-coral carnelian.

JDA.

In these two photographs, we can see close-up images of four small rectangular tabular beads, and one round tabular. This shows the variety of color combinations and the dispersion of the polyp patterns in the material being used.

I can only assume the stone is immersed in an iron-rich solution, and then heated until it takes on a variegated red coloration. Unlike dying, this treatment (in copying nature) is permanent.

I will be the first to say this material is very attractive—but I think people deserve to know the facts, and to not be sold this stuff as though it were "natural."

JDA.

So, an entirely new material is being exploited for beadmaking. Although it is nominally "fossil coral" and also "carnelian," I predict its true details will be obfuscated.

Because precious coral is naturally red, this fossil carnelian (an entirely different ball of wax), has been made to fit-in to the marketplace in a way the public will accept and may even expect. Many people will not be told the color is artificial, and probably few will even question it.

But there is another possible outcome, that I predict will happen eventually.

Because the Chinese now make the majority of new beads for the Tibetan market, and because these new beads are already being passed-off as "old" or even "ancient" products; and because there is already a "fossil coral" myth circulating in Tibet—I predict that this new stuff will be so-passed-off as well, and will be used to validate a story that was based on misinformation and mistaken judgement in the past—but now will seem credible, because actual "red fossil coral beads" now seem to exist (and will be circulated in the Himalayan region sooner or later).

I hope this has been an instructive warning!

Jamey

We've seen this red-enhanced fossil coral over here in China, recently. Thanks for explaining it in detail. We did not happen to take pictures. I'll try to find some in the next few days and see what I can show.

I agree that both the "white" natural form (beige, really) and the new enhanced are very pretty and make great beads.

I also agree that this material will probably show up with tall tales of ancient Tibetan origins. Maybe we can nip that in the bud, or should I say, polyp?

I will be interested to see what you find. As much as I like the new flat cuts that are so popular, I'd like to see this material cut into round (spheroid) and other thick shapes as well. I have some from Indonesia, but, of course, they are gray/white.

Safe travels!

Jamey

Thanks for this insight Jamey.
I think that these are very beautiful too.
I have some fossil pendants from Morocco, They are new production. If you would like one for your collection drop me an e mail with an address, I shall send one to you.

Warm wishes
Sarah

Some of the fossils are used in this piece

In Manila there is a lot of questionable material being marketted as 'fossil coral', most of it coloured a crude red.

I don't like it, and having seen the real thing, thanks to your posts and clear exposition, I know why.

I've carted around a couple of these pebbles since I was a kid - from my uncle in Michigan. Interesting story in the link attached.

Jamey - this is the first time I've seen the dyed version - where do you think the Chinese are finding this large stash of fossil coral stone to work with?

We are told here in China that the rough material comes from Indonesia, specifically from Bali. I have not, however, seen the rough in Bali.

The dyed red material sold in the Philippines might be a limestone held together with plastic resin. It used to be called tiger coral in beige/white and now dyed red. The outside is shiny with some black/grey trailings to look like a natural stone but the inside is crumbly and white.

Most of the red sponge coral used in Bali and China in jewelry is man made block material. Some beads are still made from the natural and dyed sponge coral.

"The outside is shiny with some black/grey trailings to look like a natural stone but the inside is crumbly and white."

That accurately describes the great majority of 'coral' beads sold here in hundreds of small stalls. They are the cheapest and most plentiful coral beads available here, and the feel of the surface suggests some plastic-type sealant.

There is much better-looking coral available, but when lies are told about obvious fakes I steer clear of the whole genre.

Besides, I am not sure how the coral is obtained. I would not like to contribute in any way to further destruction of the reefs here. The reefs are the glory of the Philippines but are already under enough threat from the dynamite fishing, cyanide fishing and bottom trawling.

In other words I am not convinced that most of the coral sold here is fossilised, but is rather formed from reef material.

I can't understand anyone buying such ugly beads anyway, but obviously there is a market.

Could you post some pictures, Barbara?

We bought some of that years ago from Philippine sources as "tiger coral" but I don't think I saved any. It would be good to document that here in the forum. If you can get pictures of both the whitish and dyed red versions that would be great.

It is a little ugly, isn't it? In the right artist's hands it can be used quite charmingly.

I'm packing for a few months in UK, AND my new camera is complicated, but I'll try in a day or so.

Hi Jamey, thank you for your insightful and valuable information! I too value Coral beads; I love natural, untreated, un-dyed nice orange to deep red varieties. I am active on eBay, primarily searching for great deals and I have found that REAL natural Coral is getting super scarce! The volume of treated Coral sold as the real deal is growing daily and with photo techniques and good stories it is harder to tell if one is getting misrepresentations. I think if one is aware of the fact that almost ALL Coral sold online is of the treated or enhanced variety and one purchases at a price point indicative of such, one could be reasonably safe. I would suggest purchasing Coral in person and educating yourself beforehand. The Tucson Gem Shows are terrific venues for a fast education. Does anyone else have insight where one can find reliable information “in Person” on Coral? The reason I say “in Person” is because Coral needs to be seen in person and preferably held in order to really see its true nature. Thank you again Jamey! PS I think the newly enhanced Coral types are very beautiful in their own right!

We've been looking in Guangzhou at a lot of the gem sellers for some red biezen enhanced Indonesian coral. We saw some a few weeks ago but didn't remember where. Today I found some DYED Indonesian coral.

How do I know it is dyed? The process for dying candy jade and most of the magnesite has a distinctive odor when fresh. The beads are cut and then dyed. The different colors have different smells. Moth ball, peppermint and Pepto Bismo are common odors. This red coral had a strong peppermint odor. Plus the colors are different than the colors of the carnelian red of the ones Jamey showed. These beads are about 20x30.

corral fossil from indonesia.
Natural.