Most precious stones are born in the heart of the earth, from mineral processes lasting millions of years. But there are two materials that tradition has always treated as gems despite having a completely different origin: coral, produced by marine organisms, and amber, the fossil resin of ancient trees. They are gems born of life, and for this very reason they have attracted a particular symbolism. Coral speaks of the sea, of blood and of protection; amber speaks of the sun, of tears and of time made still.
Coral: a tree beneath the sea
The red coral of the Mediterranean grows in the form of small branches, like those of a miniature tree. For a long time the ancients wondered whether it was a plant, a stone or an animal. Today we know it is the calcareous skeleton of colonies of tiny marine organisms, but its ambiguous nature fed myths and beliefs.
Medusa's blood
Ovid, in the Metamorphoses, tells of the origin of coral with a famous image. After beheading Medusa, Perseus laid the monster's head on a bed of seaweed so as not to damage it on the sand. The seaweed, touched by the blood and petrifying power of the Gorgon, hardened and turned red. The sea nymphs, delighted by the marvel, scattered its seeds in the waters: thus coral was born, soft under water and hard in the air.
The myth is rich in meaning. Coral is born of a transformation: what was flexible becomes solid, what was terrible, Medusa's gaze, becomes ornament and protection. It is a perfect example of how tradition reads nature: a physical phenomenon, coral that seems to harden out of the water, becomes a sacred story.
Coral in Italian tradition
In Italy coral has a long and deep history. Little branches and horns of coral were given to children as auspicious amulets, and coral working became a celebrated craft in some coastal towns, such as Torre del Greco.
In Renaissance painting the Christ Child is sometimes shown wearing a coral necklace or holding a coral branch, as in Piero della Francesca's Brera Altarpiece. The red of the coral can be read in such cases as an allusion to the blood of the Passion and at the same time as a sign of protection for childhood.
Amber: the tears of the sun
Amber is resin produced by trees that lived in extremely remote ages and fossilised over millions of years. Its colour ranges from honey yellow to deep orange; it is warm to the touch, light, and sometimes contains small insects or plant fragments trapped inside. Its most famous source is the coast of the Baltic Sea.
The Heliades and Phaethon
For amber, too, Greek myth offers a story of origins. Phaethon, son of the Sun, was allowed to drive his father's chariot but lost control of it, threatening to set the world on fire. Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt and the youth fell into the river Eridanus. His sisters, the Heliades, mourned him so long that they were turned into poplars, and their tears, hardened by the sun, became amber.
In myth, then, amber is a gem of mourning and of the sun together: grief transformed into golden light.
Amber and electricity
A curious fact links amber to the history of science. In Greek amber was called élektron. Already in antiquity it had been observed that, when rubbed, it attracted small light fragments such as bits of straw or feathers. The modern term "electricity" derives from this Greek word. Amber, gem of the sun, thus also holds an invisible, attracting force.
Two gems, two elements
| Aspect | Coral | Amber |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Marine organisms | Fossil tree resin |
| Symbolic element | Water | Fire and sun |
| Myth | Medusa's blood | The tears of the Heliades |
| Dominant colour | Red | Golden yellow |
| Meaning | Transformation, protection | Memory, light, suspended time |
What they teach
Coral and amber are gems that preserve the memory of life. Coral is what remains of a living colony; amber guards a past moment, sometimes with the little insect that stayed enclosed in it. In an inner reading they represent the ability to transform experience, even painful experience, into something precious and lasting.
Those who own an object of coral or amber can use it as a support for reflection: observe its colour, its transparency or opacity, its shape, and ask which experience of their own life has become, with time, a gem.
In short
- Coral and amber are gems of organic origin, born of life rather than minerals.
- Ovid tells that coral was born from seaweed touched by Medusa's blood.
- In Italy coral is a traditional auspicious gift and appears in Renaissance painting.
- According to myth, amber is formed from the tears of the Heliades, Phaethon's sisters.
- The word "electricity" comes from the Greek name for amber, élektron.
