Red and pink coral are among the world’s most valuable wildlife commodities but have been intensively fished for centuries to meet consumer demand for jewelry and curios. The United States alone imported 28 million pieces of red and pink coral between 2001 and 2008.

More than 30 to 50 metric tons of Coralliidae is taken from the ocean each year. Cordillidae, a type of coral that grows less than 1 millimeter per annum, receives no type of international trade protection and therefore continues to be used by the jewelry indutry.

SeaWeb, an educational nonprofit organization, created the Too Precious to Wear campaign, which calls on jewelers and designers to refuse to use coral. C5 company, a leader of sustainable fine jewelry, asks consumers to refuse purchasing any jewelry made with coral until its trade has been regulated and the species has recovered from overharvesting.

Read the full blog post.

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