No More Coral

WE ARE NO LONGER OFFERING CORAL. Coral are a species of marine invertebrates that grow on the shelves of the sunlight zone in our oceans. For fish in the shallow areas of the sea, coral provides protection from predators. For humans living near coast areas in the tropics, they absorb energy from ocean waves that could otherwise decimate human life. Estimates are that up to 80% of the oxygen you are breathing in right now comes from the ocean. It doesn’t come from the land. In order for you to continue to breathe, you have to have a healthy ocean. Commercial harvesting to satisfy the demand for coral jewelry has reduced colony size, density, and age structure of Corallium over time. Harvesting is also lowering the reproduction capability of this species and is decreasing its genetic diversity. Research indicates that removal of red and pink corals for the global jewelry and art trade is also leading to smaller and smaller Corallium in the wild. An important distinction should be noted between coral and fossil coral. Like any other fossils, these stones are mined, while the coral is harvested from living plants. Additionally, the fossil coral has been dead for thousands of years, and is discovered in sediment like any other stone. The environmental risks with sourcing these stones are not comparable to the sourcing of living coral. We will still be designing using Fossil Coral.