Red Coral—The Gemstone of Mars/ the God of War continues...

The red coral should be bright and shiny.
It should have a smooth blemish free surface.
It should have good colour.
It should have good lustre.
It should appear to be heavier than its actual weight when taken in the palm.

Fully natural and organic. Precious biogenic material! Created in the sea by marine polyp. Be free from any dyeing or wax filling. One should be very careful of red coral imitations and reconstituted coral.

Most common imitations are dyed wood, camel bone and even plastic. For astrological purposes it is best to get a red coral certified using Raman Spectroscopy.

Flaws to be avoided in red corals for astrological purposes

The sacred texts speak about the flaws in a red coral and the resultant ill effects. Some of the major flaws to be avoided in a Jyotish quality red coral are: ( refer to the table in slides)

Substitute Gemstone for Red Coral

The gemstones to harness the power of the Mars in lieu of red coral are called as Uparatna-superior alternative gemstones.

Those who cannot wear a red coral that is free from the flaws as listed above should go in for natural red carnelian or natural red agate for getting the powers of the planet Mars.

To be continued.....