SSEF uncovered a precious coral species
Innovative coral DNA-testing method discovers A refined DNA-based method to distinguish look-alike; precious corals, used in luxury jewellery, developed by a joint team from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and the Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Zurich, has uncovered a precious coral species hitherto unknown in the gem trade and to science. It belongs to the Pleurocorallium norfolkicum species complex. “Several precious coral species present very similar characteristics and colours, and traditional gemmological techniques can’t tell them apart,” said Dr Laurent E. Cartier, Head of Special Initiatives at SSEF. “By reading their genetic fingerprints, we can now identify different species unambiguously—providing greater transparency and allowing us to further document the provenance of historic and modern precious coral jewels.” The path to the new discovery was detailed in two peer-reviewed papers, published in early Jun...