Looking for a source to buy a large piece of red coral branch. 
Several months ago in a decorating magazine (which I can no longer
find), there was a photo spread of a designer's home.  In her
fireplace sat a large branching piece of red coral -- it gave the
appearance of FLAMES.  So stunning.  A friend and I are obsessed with
finding a piece of red coral branch for OUR fireplaces.

We have searched eBay.  No luck.  There are 6" coral TWIGS, but those
are too small.  We have Googled our brains out.  We've checked "coral"
and "coral specimens" and "coral branches" and "fossils."  There are
too many general links.

Please find us a dealer or supplier. . .but a general LIST of stores
or dealers is not acceptable.  We can find that ourselves and then do
the long laundry list of making phone calls.  No good.  You have to
narrow it down to a person or people SPECIALIZING in large pieces of
coral.   We're in Manhattan, but are open to sources wherever they may
be.

We realize coral reefs are endangered, so only want to buy pieces that
already exist.  And we aren't looking for jewelry-grade red coral. 
This is for a fireplace.

If you need me to clarify anything, let me know.  Thanks in advance.

---

Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 16 Mar 2003 19:52 PST

Greetings, cryptica!

There are a couple of pieces of information that may be helpful to you
in your search:
- Dealers who traffic in illegally obtained, endangered red coral are
often able to "certify" that the coral is "pre-endangerment", even if
the certification is completely fake;
- Even if the coral really is pre-endangerment, then the harvest of it
contributed to making the coral endangered -- and it is obvious that
you are people of good conscience -- would you really want to be a
part of that? Furthermore, purchasing pre-endangered red coral means
that one more person somewhere else will be purchasing illegal coral;
- Because of the endangerment, genuine red coral is quite expensive,
but there are a number of options for obtaining quite realistic "faux"
red coral (the option listed below by pinkfreud is just one of the
possibilities) -- this would enable you to obtain EXACTLY the size,
shape, and color you desire.

I have found a significant number of sources who can provide you with
"faux" red coral that will be indistinguishable from the real thing;
would you like me to post as an Answer the contact information for
these sources? If so, please post a Clarification here to that effect,
and I will be delighted to do so.

Best Wishes,

aceresearcher

---

Clarification of Question by cryptica-ga on 16 Mar 2003 20:22 PST

Acesresearcher-ga -- 

I'm a little confused.  Could you clarify YOUR clarification request? 
When you say "faux" red coral will be "indistinguishable" from the
real thing,
is this something you have seen personally?  And when you say there
are many sources -- are we talking about faux coral in LARGE sizes
with the branching, etc., or must I, as in Pinkfreud's suggestion,
whip up my own batch of resin and design something?  I confess I'm not
knowledgable about coral and all the politics, but you seem to imply
that there are no reputable dealers out there.  And that ANY purchse
of coral is inherently bad.

---

Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 16 Mar 2003 21:08 PST

cryptica,

I will not say that there are NO reputable coral dealers out there.
What I will say is that in my opinion, any genuine red coral that is
purchased probably:
1) was harvested illegally after it became endangered, or
2) was harvested legally before it became endangered, thus
contributing to its becoming endangered;
3) leaves one less genuine piece of coral on the market, thus causing
increased demand for the coral;
4) is probably going to be VERY expensive because of its rarity and
illegality now.

As far as "faux" red coral, I have seen pictures of faux coral and
read their descriptions, and I truly believe that you would find the
pieces indistinguishable from the real thing. Not only do you NOT have
to make it yourself, you would be able to specify EXACTLY what you
want in terms of size, shape, and shade of red.

Would you be willing to consider the Contact information for these
sources a valid Answer?

Regards,

aceresearcher

---

Clarification of Question by cryptica-ga on 16 Mar 2003 21:30 PST

Hi, Acesresearcher --

Let me ask my co-questioner if listing "faux" red coral dealers will
be acceptable to her.  I'll have to get back to you tomorrow, though
since it's way after midnight here and it's too late to call her.  I
understand your concerns about real coral, but I wouldn't feel bad
about buying an antique or older piece of coral from pre-endangered
days.  It's similar to buying an antique piece of ivory. You say it
would be "expensive," but am wondering how you define expensive. 
Regardless, judging from your descriptions of the faux process, I'm
exceedingly pleased I wouldn't have to be playing with resin.  Art
class was NOT my long suit!

---

Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 16 Mar 2003 21:39 PST

cryptica,

No problem!

I can not guarantee that these options would be less expensive than
the real thing. However, since I was not able to find a single source
for the real thing in the size you need, I suspect that they would
have to be less expensive.

ace

---

Clarification of Question by cryptica-ga on 17 Mar 2003 05:20 PST

Hi, Ace --

I spoke to my co-questioner. Contact info for faux coral dealers is
acceptable--provided these people are experienced in making large
pieces.

---

Clarification of Question by cryptica-ga on 17 Mar 2003 17:06 PST

Acesresearcher --

Where are you?  I see you're online answering other people's questions
today, but you haven't posted the answer you offered to me --What's happening?

---

Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 17 Mar 2003 17:41 PST

cryptica,

My apologies. I had not noticed that you had posted a Clarification. I
will work on your Answer right now.

ace

---

Request for Question Clarification by aceresearcher-ga on 17 Mar 2003 22:38 PST

cryptica,

I am not finished with your Answer yet; it is 1:35am my time, and I am
falling asleep at the keyboard. Your patience and understanding are
much appreciated. I will finish your Answer as soon as I get up in the
morning.

ace

---

Clarification of Question by cryptica-ga on 18 Mar 2003 04:37 PST

Don't worry, take your time.

Greetings, cryptica!

I thank you for your patience while I was putting together the best
possible Answer for you, and for your willingness to consider
alternate options.

I had hoped to find more sources for you, and searched extensively in
that pursuit. Nevertheless, I do believe that one or more of these
sources will be able to provide exactly what you need.


Living Color Enterprises 
------------------------
"For over 15 years, Living Color has been at the forefront of aquarium
and coral design, balancing state of the art technological
advancements with traditional hand sculpting techniques.

Founded in 1988, Living Color is an American company headquartered in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where our showroom and sole aquarium design
and build facility are located. Initially renowned for its award
winning exhibitry and themed environments for the amusement park
industry, the company revolutionized custom aquarium design with its
uniquely fabricated coral reef structures - using a process
characterized by unparalleled beauty."
http://www.livingcolor.com

"If you are interested in learning more about the Living Color Coral
Collection or our Plug & Play Interactive Coral Reef System, please
contact our Coral and Marine Life Consultant, Mikki Ichinotsubo."
http://www.livingcolor.com/contact-full.htm
The e-mail contact form for Mikki is here:
http://www.livingcolor.com/Queries/coral-inquiry.htm

Living Color Enterprises 
6850 NW 12th Avenue
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
(800) 878-9511
http://www.livingcolor.com/Gallery-text.htm


Rock & Waterscape Systems, Inc.
------------------------
"We are a recognized leader in artificial coral & reef substrates.
Marine ecologists have complimented the authenticity of our coral,
declaring it to be virtually indistinguishable from the living thing.
We are proud to provide both amateur and commercial aquarium
enthusiasts with the most narturalistic coral possible which directly
preserves live coral reefs throughout the world."
http://www.rockandwaterscape.com/projects/coral.html

Their Coral Catalog is located here:
http://www.rockandwaterscape.com/coral-catalog/coralcatalog.html
 
Rock & Waterscape Systems, Inc.
11 Whatney
Irvine, California 92618-2808
phone: (949) 770-1936
fax: (949) 458-6331
marketing@rockandwaterscape.com 
http://www.rockandwaterscape.com/contactus.html


David L. Manwarren Corp
-----------------------
"David L. Manwarren Corporation has been designing and building
exciting aquarium, zoo, museum, and educational exhibits for over two
decades... the company has built over 270 individual Zoological
exhibits."
http://www.dlmanwarren.com

DLM Corp 
9146 - 9th Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
phone: 909-989-5883
fax: 909-989-5493
e-mail: info@dlmanwarren.com
Business hours: 7am-5pm Pacific Time
http://www.dlmanwarren.com/dlm_contact.htm#

Examples of their coral work:
http://www.dlmanwarren.com/dlm_sp_coral.htm
http://www.dlmanwarren.com/coraltable.PDF
http://www.dlmanwarren.com/coral1.PDF
http://www.dlmanwarren.com/coral2.PDF

(The last 3 links are Acrobat .pdf documents. If you do not already
have Acrobat
installed on your PC, you can download the free Acrobat Reader here:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html  )


Brian
-----
I spoke to a nice guy named Brian who is selling a selection of faux
coral -- including 3 pieces of antler coral, which he would probably
be willing to sell to you, and which, when dyed or spray-painted and
mounted on logs, might work perfectly for one of you.

Pictures of his coral are here:
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/pages/2stagruler1.htm
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/pages/stag1.htm
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/pages/stag2.htm
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/pages/stag3.htm
http://www.calvaryweb.us/faux_coral/pages/stagmacro1.htm

Brian's contact information is here:
http://www.calvaryweb.us/resume.html


"MONROVIA, Calif. Sanjeet Nijjar lives miles from the beach, but he
wanted a sense of the ocean in his new 30-room, Tuscany-inspired
estate in Monrovia. What he got was much more dramatic than a bubbling
fish tank on a table...

The tanks are getting bigger and much more extravagant," says Israel
Capuano, president of Infinity Aquarium Design in Manhattan Beach.
"It's very soothing and it's living art. It's much more interesting
than spending $15,000 to $20,000 on an oil painting...

John Stevenson, owner of Aquariums for You in Long Branch, N.J., does
more than 100 high-end installations each year. "Forty percent of
people do it for status, 40% love the look of fish, and 20% are
hobbyists."
http://www.usatoday.com/life/2002-11-08-aquariums_x.htm

Infinity Aquarium Design
------------------------
phone: 310-625-3474
e-mail: info@infinityaquarium.com
http://www.infinityaquarium.com/INFINITY/infinitypages/reefreplicas.htm

Aquariums For You
-----------------
10 Pearl Street
Long Branch, NJ 07740 
phone (732) 229-8005
http://www.aquariumsforyou.com/Contact.htm


If none of the above options works out for you, you might try
contacting these designers of large aquariums with faux coral:

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
------------------------------
Senior Exhibit Designer Pete Feher 
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
"Much of the exhibit's new look is the result of the design and
construction talents of 34 Art Institute of  Pittsburgh students,
recruited by institute grad Feher. These student volunteers designed
the galleon and protective coloration exhibit, spiffed up the Yellow
Submarine, and sculpted the foam and fiberglass coral."
http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/2000/julaug/feat4.html
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
phone: 412-622-3131
e-mail cmnhweb@carnegiemuseums.org


Daroff Design Inc 
------------------
"The bars at [Harrah’s Atlantic City's] Atlantis are decorated with
simulated rock overhangs and scenes of fish, coral, kelp and other
present-day inhabitants of the legendary Lost Continent.
To create the intriguing, mystical atmosphere, designer Jimmy Daluise
of Gennaro Dellessio Designers fashioned his version of the Lost City
as it might be found today on the ocean floor. Using the rich colors
and lighting of an underwater environment, Daluise achieved the feel
of being in an another world. He followed Plato's version of the
Atlantis myth, in which a volcanic eruption sank the elegant city to
the depths."
http://www.nightclub.com/magazine/May98/utopia.html

"Harrah's Atlantic City Fantasea Reef Restaurant"
Daroff Design Inc was selected by Harrah’s Atlantic City to develop
and enhance the property’s Marine Theme through a series of renovation
assignments which included the exterior entry sequence, porte cochere
entrance, concourse, atrium, casino and gaming support areas. The team
developed a highly themed master plan which was successfully
implemented within a fast track schedule, on budget while maintaining
on-going operations."
Daroff Design Inc 
2300 Ionic Street 
Philadelphia, PA 19103 
phone: 215-636-9900 
fax: 215-636-9627 
E-Mail: info@daroffdesign.com 
http://www.daroffdesign.com/projects/fantaseareef


Search Strategy

While I tried quite a number of different Search combinations, this
was the one that seemed to work the best:

"faux coral" -bead -beads -necklace -bracelet -earrings -brooch
-moldings -mouldings
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&q=+%22faux+coral%22+-bead+-beads+-necklace+-bracelet+-earrings+-brooch+-moldings+-mouldings&btnG=Google+Search&filter=0


Before Rating my Answer, if you have any questions about any of this
information, please post a Request for Clarification, and I will be
delighted to see what I can do for you.

I hope that this Answer enables to get exactly what you are seeking!
(I expect you to post the glorious pictures here, once your projects
are done!)

Regards,

aceresearcher

Ace -- 
Well worth the wait.  I confess I was disappointed there wasn't a
giant hunk o' flaming red corral in all these links, but that's me, I
like instant gratification.  I just forwarded your data to a set
designer friend, who agrees you did a yoeman's -- er... yoe-person's
job -- and believes these sources, the ones that do museum work, are
probably the way to go.  He's going to call for samples and prices and
knows all the technical lingo. Let's see what happens.  In the
meantime, thank you very much again.

Here is something that might interest you:

"To make Artificial Red Coral Branches, for the Embellishment of
Grottoes.

Take clear rosin, dissolve it in a brass pan; to every ounce of which
add 2 drs. of the finest vermilion: when stirred well together, choose
the twigs and branches, peeled and dried, then take a pencil and paint
the branches all over whilst the composition is warm; afterwards shape
them in imitation of natural coral. This done, hold the branches over
a gentle coal fire, till all is smooth and even as if polished."

http://www.cairns.net.au/~sharefin/Cyclopedia/misc.html

This would give the appearance that you desire, without the ecological
problems attached to the real thing.

PinkFreud -- 
Hmm -- do you by any chance do free-lance art projects on the side?

cryptica,

I am SO delighted that you were happy with my work. A happy Customer
just makes my day.

Thank you for the 5-star rating and the generous tip!

Once you have obtained what you are seeking, if you remember to come
back here and post a picture and describe how you obtained it, I would
sure love to hear it. You two have got ME wanting one of these darn
things for my own fireplace now!!!

ace

Hi,

I'm not sure what type of Coral you are looking for, but I do know a
place in Manhattan where they specialize in the sales of All kinds of
Corals.  It is one of the biggest coral distributers in the world. 
They have processed red corals for jewlery and non-process corals. 
All corals are natural.  The place is located on 46th street (between
5th Ave. and 6th Ave.).  It is called LuCoral.  I don't know if they
have the size you are looking for, but it's a good bet.  I know most
New York City designers to go to buy all sorts of corals.

Twinklestar --
Thanks for the tip.  I posted this query a year ago and still haven't
really followed up on these leads.
I was hoping to find a gigantic piece of red coral to put in the
fireplace -- with big branches -- to make it looks like a bunch of
"flames."   (I saw this in a home decor magazine.)
Have yet to come across any piece of coral -- real or faux -- that big.  
But I will give LuCoral a call -- even if they don't have it -- they
might know who would.
Thanks so much!

Sure, you are welcome =).

I have their card here, their phone number is (212)575-9701.  They
have big carved coral displays, so I figured they probably have big
coral branches in their factory.  Good Luck!

I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THAT THE PHOTO YOU SAW IS OF CHARLOTTE MOSS'
BLACK AND WHITE STONE SUNPORCH IN EASTHAMPTON. THESE BRANCHES WERE
COMING OUT OF WOOD POTS ON PEDESTALS? DOES THIS RING A BELL? MAYBE
NOT, BUT SHE HAS THESE ENORMOUS CORAL BRANCHES IN HER HOUSE AND SHE IS
PUBLISHED AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. I USED TO WORK FOR HER, LONG BEFORE I
SPOTTED THIS PHOTO. I liked the look, but was also not able to
purchase the original, so i painted very thin tree branches orange and
sunk them into a brown vase (a pair) and they look amazing! i also
spotted this idea in the window of ungaro

Tra - 

I'll bet you're right.  The photo wasn't clear enough to show the
coral BASE, as I remember,
so I don't remember seeing what it was resting in . . .but all of this
does sound so familair.
Thank you so much for the info.  Now I can go back and find magazines
with photos of her
home.

And since this question was first posted way back in March, you're
right, painting branches is
now the new way to emulate coral.  In fact, the New York Times had a
photo of this and a
decorator recommended Banjamin Moore glossy coral paint, I think.

I still haven't done ANYTHING about all this, though. . . not even
called the resources that
other Googlers have suggested above.   I'm a procrastinator -- but one
of these days. . . .!
Thanks again.