Beneath the undulating surface of the sea grows a treasure long coveted by many jewelry collectors. But this desire to own one of nature's rarities has brought many of the world's coral reefs to the precipice of collapse. It is not a gemstone or gold they seek, but the living animal called coral.

Corallium, commonly known as red and pink coral, has long been harvested for use in jewelry. This fascinating sea creature, which can grow as little as 1/4" per year and live for 100 years, cannot reproduce fast enough to meet global demand. As a result, coral reefs are fast disappearing as over-harvesting has brought their population to the breaking point. In the Mediterranean Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, harvest yields are down 89% from 1984. Even taking into considerations such as reduction of catch effort in various regions, this is still a precipitous decline for a long-lived, slow growing species. As consumer demand increases, the largely unregulated coral fisheries go deeper and deeper to find this rare animal, and the aquatic devastation spreads.

For over a decade, it has been a part of Leber Jeweler Inc.'s policy not to purchase any coral or use any coral product in any of our collections until a sustainable future for this declining resource can be assured.

We feel there are solutions within our reach and are working tirelessly to achieve them. Working with both governments in countries that produce coral as well as with the private sector, we are developing options that can address both resource protection and the needs of the communities that rely on coral. The world's coral reefs are harbingers of our own future and we must all work to protect them.

In June of 2009, Brian Leber was invited to speak at Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington DC. Coordinated by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and sponsored by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, he spoke on the protection of the Coral Triangle, conservation, and sustainable development, in relation to jewelry.

Brian Leber speaking at Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2009

For Further Information:

Too Precious to Wear

Sea Web

The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora