In an effort to advance standardized nomenclature for coral, the ICA|GemLab, under the leadership of Ken Scarratt, has developed a Mediterranean Coral Color Scale. Exclusively for describing color, but not value, this new international nomenclature can make transactions simpler and more transparent. The first results of the Lab’s work have been put into place by CIBJO and Assocoral.
With the assistance of Italian precious coral expert, Vincenzo Liverino, ICA|GemLab has introduced a simple procedure for describing the color of the Mediterranean coral, Corallium rubrum. Utilizing five designated colors (deep red, red, deep pink, pink and light pink) along with available color comparison samples, this procedure could become the future trading standard for this important gem material. For gem laboratories, technicians have a choice of using the available color comparison samples and viewing in the CIE standard daylight illuminate, D65, or using a spectrophotometer as the Lab* data as each of these color comparison samples is openly available.
