Coral jewelry has been found in ancient grave sites from as far back as 10,000 B.C. and was especially popular during Victorian times and in the 1920s. But there are some pretty convincing fakes out there. Plastic, bone, shell, fossil ivory, howlite and onyx are some of the materials used to make imitation coral. Also, low quality corals have been filled with epoxy and polished to hide flaws. Use these tests to determine if that beautiful coral jewelry piece you have is the real thing or a cheap imitation.
How To Test
The first step in determining if a piece of jewelry is real or fake is its weight. Real coral jewelry is heavier than imitations.
Put your jewelry piece in a small ceramic bowl and cover it with cow's milk.
Leave the jewelry in the milk at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. If the coral jewelry is real, it will color the milk. If the piece is fake, the whiteness of the milk will remain unchanged.
Another test is to place a drop or two of nitric acid or lemon juice on an inconspicuous place, like the back of a particular piece of jewelry. If the coral is real, the spot will effervesce and form tiny bubbles on its surface.