Corals alternatives are materials and designs that resemble the look and feel of sea coral, but using them eliminates or reduces the harm to oceans. The designs that mimic the look or shape of corals are also referred to as coral inspired jewelry.
Some of the more common alternative materials to coral in jewelry making are: [you can search for specific products made from coral alternatives from the DESIGN TOOL on the right, select Coral Alternative from the Materials drop down under the Products tab.]
Products with Coral alternative
1. Resins: Resin is a material commonly used in jewelry in lieu of coral and is usually synthetic, consisting of a combination of chemicals. When mixed, the chemicals form a viscous material that can be dyed to any color and shaped as desired, and will harden over time. While resin is certainly a more sustainable and less destructive material than coral, it is not without its ecological impacts. As a plastic, resin is usually petroleumbased, thus incorporating a non-renewable resource, and will not fully decompose when discarded.
2. Sea glass: Sea glass is found on beaches along oceans or large lakes that has been tumbled and smoothed by the water and sand, creating small pieces of smooth, frosted glass. Sea glass originates from bottles and jars that enter the water as litter and become broken up by the waves and rocks. Green, clear, brown, and amber beach glass is common (consider the most common colors of beer-bottles), though light blues, yellows and pink varieties have also been known to appear. Much more rare are grey, purple, bright red, and the black varieties.
Sea glass can also be produced artificially by using a rock tumbler, and some companies sell artificially produced sea glass to tourists or make jewelry from it. As authentic sea glass becomes harder and harder to find, artificial sea glass is sometimes fraudulently advertised as authentic.
