Corals are organogenic and are mainly mined in the Mediterranean Sea, off the northwestern coast of Africa. The color is red, pale pink, blue, white and black. Gloss - matte, silky. In ancient Greece, corals were believed to give their owners a long life. Today it is one of the most popular stones among jewelers.
Instructions
Step 1
The high cost and popularity of corals has led to a large number of fakes. P. Gilson in France developed a method of making artificial corals from calcite and dyes. They are much cheaper and are a good imitation of natural corals.
Step 2
Look carefully at the stones - the imitation made according to the Gilson technique does not have a mesh pattern. Natural corals feel like amber, while quartzite is a cold stone. Pay attention to the cut where the thread hole is. Coral shines equally; in contrast, quartzite has a stony grayish texture.
Step 3
If you drop hydrochloric acid on the sample, the pressed quartzite coral will hiss.
Step 4
Cheap plastic imitations are easy to distinguish visually and by touch. Touch the coral with a heated needle - a black dot forms on the plastic, and you will smell the burnt plastic, which will not happen with natural stones.
Step 5
Sometimes white corals are colored with noble red and pink colors. Dip the jewelry in hot water, the dyed corals will color the water. They will also leave marks on the body, especially on hot days. In bad fakes, the color often disappears completely with the usual immersion of the product with "corals" in water.
Step 6
Note: Natural coral rings and signet rings are usually cut in a cabochon hemisphere and enhance the color by polishing and waxing.
Step 7
If the imitation is of high quality, it is not dyed and jewelry with pressed corals looks very impressive. Therefore, if they are not trying to deceive you by selling jewelry made of artificial stone, then beads, rings and earrings in a beautiful frame with pressed stones are very beautiful and are inexpensive. In this case, you have a great opportunity to buy an elegant piece of jewelry for little money.
