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Gem and Ornamental

Gem and Ornamental

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204 GEMS AND OKNAMENTAL MATERIMS OF ORGANIC ORIGINAnother Mediterranean black coral is Germ&, of the orderZoanthhiaria. It is brownih to black, with a smooth surface, <strong>and</strong> cangrow to 2 metres tall with a very sturdy 'W. It has been lmown <strong>and</strong>used for centuries.Gorgonian black corals of the order Alcyonacea are also used forgem purposes. They have no central canal, <strong>and</strong> their growth rings maybe more irregular than those of the antipatharians. Their texture is alsomore fibrous <strong>and</strong> nwer displays any translucency. Gorgonians nwerhave spines, but may have h e grooves (Fii. 11.19).Both antipatharim <strong>and</strong> gorgonim corals can also occur in goldenvmieties. Here there is wen more difficulty in identifying the specieswith absolute accuracy, as black cord can be bleached to a goldencolour. The bleach can permeate quite deep into the cod, <strong>and</strong> it canbe impossible to tell - without complicated tmts - whether the goldencolour is natural or bleached (Figs 11.17 <strong>and</strong> 11.18).Fosdkd c dFossilised corals used today are of the orders Scler-, Rugosa <strong>and</strong>Tabdata. The latter two are extinct. All three types of c d hadFigure 11.14-.Black antipatharian d rough <strong>and</strong> beads. Top <strong>and</strong> &ads

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