When you look at corals, you probably wouldn’t think that they are actually animals. They are the largest class of the phylum chidarian species, about which we know a lot nowadays. Most of us have heard ofthemfrom the jewelry for which coral is known.
Stories and legendsabout coral and the values we associate with them remain an interesting topic of exploration even after so many years.
Here are some interesting facts you might not know about thisfascinating part of the sea world:
Coral, translated from Greek, means “daughter of the sea.”
According to ancient legends, coral was made when Perseus severed Medusa’s head and threw it into the sea. The seaweed covered with her blood petrified and transformed into corals.
Up until the 18th century, it was believed that coral was a plant.
According to anotherancient legend, corals were described as flowers, whichpetrify as soon as they are taken out of the sea.
It takes coral more than ten years to grow and reach a size ready for harvest.
When coral is warmed to high temperatures, it becomes white and by that, it is recognized as genuine.
Because of this quality,coralwas often given to children as a present so it could be visible when the children got a higher body temperature.
A huge coral reef in Australia has the largest, most diverse andamazing ecosystem on our planet, where the symbiosis between living species of the marine world originated 20,000 years ago.
That special and rare animal found its place in the Adriatic Sea. A long history of jewelry making led to its high price at the market. Coral is an enduring substance that has had high value for centuries. Especially coral from the Adriatic sea,which has been harvested by people from Zlarin.
The culture of jewelry making on Zlarin retains its traditional spirit. It takes a few days to make a necklace nowadays just as it didsome forty years ago. So on Zlarin you can see the traditional use of this incredible sea-treasure. Zlarin is an ideal place to learn all the legends, stories, and interesting things about coral.