The facts
What angel Skin Coral actually is
Angel Skin Coral is classified as the pale, evenly-coloured pink to near-white grade of Pleurocorallium elatius and related species, with the composition Mg-calcite CaCO3 with conchiolin. It crystallises in the aggregate (trigonal calcite) system.
Colour comes from low concentration of carotenoid pigments; evenness of tone is what carries the value, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.486-1.658. Specific gravity around 2.60-2.70. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where angel Skin Coral comes from
Angel Skin Coral is produced at Tosa Bay and Ryukyu grounds, Japan, Taiwan Strait grounds and Midway and Emperor Seamounts, Central Pacific.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How angel Skin Coral is treated
The name is a quality grade, not a species, and is abused freely. Pink-dyed white coral and dyed bamboo coral are routinely sold as angel skin. CITES Appendix III (China) applies to the source species. Demand disclosure of dye - genuine angel skin shows no dye concentration along fissures under 10x.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What angel Skin Coral is confused with
In the trade angel Skin Coral is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Dyed white coral, Dyed bamboo coral, Pink conch shell, Dyed magnesite and howlite or Pink plastic.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.486-1.658 and specific gravity 2.60-2.70 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What angel Skin Coral is used for
Demand for angel Skin Coral comes from jewellery, carving and sculpture and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 3-4; cleavage none. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What angel Skin Coral costs
As a guide, angel Skin Coral trades around $200-2,000 per gram for genuine even-toned undyed material.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is angel Skin Coral treated, and how?
The name is a quality grade, not a species, and is abused freely. Pink-dyed white coral and dyed bamboo coral are routinely sold as angel skin. CITES Appendix III (China) applies to the source species. Demand disclosure of dye - genuine angel skin shows no dye concentration along fissures under 10x.
Where does angel Skin Coral come from?
Tosa Bay and Ryukyu grounds, Japan, Taiwan Strait grounds and Midway and Emperor Seamounts, Central Pacific. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is angel Skin Coral hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 3-4 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does angel Skin Coral cost?
Indicatively $200-2,000 per gram for genuine even-toned undyed material. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is angel Skin Coral confused with?
Most often Dyed white coral, Dyed bamboo coral, Pink conch shell, Dyed magnesite and howlite and Pink plastic. A refractive index of 1.486-1.658 and a specific gravity near 2.60-2.70 separate it quickly.
What is angel Skin Coral used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for angel skin coral?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about angel skin coral