Coral
An example of the element Calcium

Hawaiian Precious 'Pink Beauty' Coral

Precious coral has been for centuries prized by the people in Japan-third in value after gold and silver-because of its fine dense quality, its exquisite colors, and because it always has been associated with 'good luck,' and for several hundred years, expert craftsmen in several coral centers of Japan have been fashioning such precious coral of various shades and colors into fine pieces of jewelry-ornaments for Obi Clasps, kanzashi (ornamental hair pins), and more recently into rings, pendants, necklaces, and brooches This precious coral is completely different from black coral. Whereas black coral is merely an organic compound, precious coral is a calcium carbonate crystal commonly known as calcite, and is composed of hard skeletons of certain marine organism and grows very slowly, possibly at a rate of approximately one inch every 200 years, and in Hawaii occurs in colors from a salmon red, dark pink, pink, pale pink to snow white. 'Angel Skin' is the term commonly applied to the dark pink and medium pink shades.

The precious coral you have in your hand is a representation from only several hundred pounds of which were harvested from a depth of 1200 to 1500 feet (the length of 4 to 5 football fields) in the Molokai Channel, only a 'stones throw' from the Makapuu Lighthouse on the island of Oahu and is therefore genuinely Hawwaiin. The 'ground' which was discovered by University of Hawaii scientists in the fall of 1966 is so far the only known production area in the island chain, and several attempts to locate other grounds in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands have been unsuccessful. Precious Coral-the prefect gift and souvenir of Hawaii-from Hawaii-buff it, polish it, fashion it into jewelry of your own design, or just save it as a memento of your prefect Hawaii vacation.