Corals are found in tropical oceans around the world. Found in a wide variety
of shapes, textures, and colors, natural sea coral has been highly
prized by collectors for centuries. Today, decorative natural corals add the
unforgettable beauty of the ocean to your wedding, event, home, or aquarium.
Once
retrieved from the ocean, corals are cleaned and prepared
for decorative use, a process called curing. Because the
corals are almost always fragile in nature, even a fine
specimen may have broken “fingers” or branches.
(Often such breakage occurs due to natural forces in the
ocean, before the coral is taken to land for curing.) Although
the curing process often includes trimming broken pieces,
natural corals are rarely perfect. No two pieces
are ever truly alike, making corals the perfect statement of your
unique style!
Decorative
Coral Comes in Many Colors
Corals
are occasionally dyed, but the stunning blue
ridge corals and red pipe organ corals sport all-natural
color that comes straight from the ocean. Blue ridge corals
tend to be heavy,
with large pieces sturdy enough to use as bookends or as
building blocks in an aquarium display. Their color ranges
from light slate blue to a deep soldier blue. Red pipe
organ corals weigh much less than they look, being composed
of many hollow tubes. Colors range from light red to deep,
vibrant red that will make your centerpiece or aquarium
display stand out in the crowd!
The
white corals abound with a vast array of shapes and sizes:
delicate branch corals, sturdy brain corals, intricate
birdnest corals, compact cat’s paw and wavy-ridged
rugosa are just a few of the many kinds available. All
of them make for head-turning style wherever they are used.
Coral
for Your Home, Wedding, or Party
Try
a branch coral, a few seashells, and a teal satin cloth
backdrop for an easy, elegant ocean-theme display. Tall
rugosa, more shells, and some beach sand around the base
becomes a reef centerpiece for a party, wedding, or event.
Lace and birdnest coral make intricate, delicate focal
points for that small shelf or spotlight corner. Elegant
elkhorn corals displayed with a ship’s lamp or wheel
speak of the classic days of travel by sea. Even a pirate
theme
party will be all the richer with some of nature’s
treasure from the sea!
For
elegant backdrops, don’t forget sturdy seafans. These
delicate looking branches spread far and wide, framing
your white or colored corals with a subtle touch that says “ocean” like
no other. Black seafans are actually quite sturdy, standing
up to rigorous handling for displays and considerable abuse
from your aquarium residents (marine hermit crabs love
to climb them!) For a truly unique wedding favor, glue
small seashells or tiny fish to a small fan, and attach
a card thanking your guests for participating in your special
day. Red seafans are more delicate and require gentler
handling, and come in a rich, all-natural terra cotta color
that is sure to enhance your reef or ocean theme decorations.
(We do not recommend red seafans for use in aquariums.)
Whether
you’re decorating for a party, adding a touch
of the ocean to a corner of your home or planning the
wedding of a lifetime, natural sea coral is sure to provide the
unique look that sets your display apart from all others.
Types of Coral
Poca coral is a very lightweight type of coral that is very popular as a display
piece, wedding centerpiece or an aquarium decoration. Poca comes in many shades of white
and off white, with tinges of yellow on some pieces. Occasionally, pieces may even have an
attached birdnest coral or small encrusted barnacles. The branches often resemble lettuce
leaves. Because of Poca's delicacy it does tend to break easily, so chipped and dinged edges
are normal for Poca corals. Any chipped edges can easily be shaped with a small grinder.
Even though it is delicate, Poca ships very well except for the largest pieces.
Birdnest coral is a moderately lightweight type of coral that --- as the name implies ---
resembles a bird's nest. The coral is composed of many needle-like branches that can vary in diameter
from 1/8" to 1/4". The range in branch diameter can make this coral's appearance very fine and
delicate, or very open and coarse with thicker branches, and everything in between. Most pieces are white with an occasional piece
that is off-white. Birdnest coral is extremely popular as a nautical-themed wedding centerpiece. Brides
will typically buy 10-20 pieces and place each one on a bed of beach sand. Small black or red seafans and
a few starfish with each coral complete the look. Birdnest coral is a great shipper, but a few needles
will break off during transit no matter how well it is packed.
Branch coral is a moderately
lightweight type of coral that can be brittle at times. It has an open branching structure that resembles
the branches of a tree. The branches can be as large as 3/4" or more in diameter, and color ranges from
white to off-white. This coral makes an excellent table center piece, especially if the piece has numerous
branches. Branch coral is also very popular in larger saltwater aquariums as a decoration. (Remember that
all natural coral will break down in fresh water, so these are only suitable for saltwater aquariums.)
Branch corals are excellent shippers.
