Yesterday, May 21, 2026, marked the inaugural edition of the Precious Sea Summit, a technical summit dedicated to precious marine organic materials. The event took place in Torre del Greco (Naples, Italy) at Palazzo Vallelonga, the local headquarters of the Banca di Credito Popolare, and was promoted by Assocoral and the Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese, in collaboration with the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG).
The meeting aimed to analyze the sector’s dynamics by framing the local district as an economic, manufacturing, and cultural ecosystem (referred to during the proceedings as the “Torre del Greco system” or the “coral system”), in order to systematically examine topics such as sustainability, raw material traceability, resource protection, and international competitiveness metrics. The summit aligns with the directives of IEG’s international Jewellery Agenda and operates within the regulatory framework following the recent inclusion of coral and cameos in the Italian National Bulletin of IGP (Indicazioni Geografiche Protette, Protected Geographical Indications) for artisanal and industrial products.
The conference proceedings were moderated by the Director of Preziosa Magazine, Giovanni Micera, with institutional greetings from Luigi Mennella (Mayor of Torre del Greco), Domenico Borriello (President of Banca di Credito Popolare), Matteo Farsura (Global Exhibition Manager – Jewellery & Fashion Division, Italian Exhibition Group), and Michele Di Bari (Prefect of Naples).
The session then focused on technical reports. Journalist Salvatore Perillo presented a talk entitled “Torre del Greco: History, Culture, and Artisanal Tradition”. During his presentation, Perillo outlined the historic bond between the territory and coral and cameo manufacturing, defining this heritage not merely as an autonomous production practice, but as an identity marker of international significance.
Next, Maurizio Forte, Central Director for Export Sectors at the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), presented on “Coral and Cameos in Global Markets: ICE Strategies and Support for a Highly Internationalized Sector”, outlining foreign development scenarios and prospects for businesses. Forte specified how current international luxury markets demand rigorous authenticity requirements, high-quality standards, and the ability to articulate product dynamics.
Attention then shifted to regulatory and industry parameters with the talk “The Challenges of International Jewelry: Sustainability, Traceability, and Supply Chain Value”, presented by Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO (The World Jewellery Confederation). Cavalieri emphasized that the commercial valuation and market acceptance of a product today do not depend solely on aesthetic variables, but necessarily require certifiable transparency and ethics throughout the entire production process.
The analysis of the local supply chain continued with the report “The Coral and Cameo District of Torre del Greco: Structure, Expertise, and Production Identity”, delivered by Fabrizio Monticelli, Project Manager of the Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese. Monticelli described the local network comprising businesses, workshops, schools, and skilled artisans, framing it as a structured model for aggregating industrial and artisanal expertise.
The cycle of discussions was concluded by Vincenzo Aucella, President of Assocoral and the Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese, with his presentation “Precious Sea Summit: Strategic Vision and Future Perspectives”. Aucella outlined the strategic necessity of coordinating the supply chain (working together as a cohesive system, or “fare sistema”), sharing technical know-how, and safeguarding the district’s manufacturing identity. He further underscored the need to adapt industrial processes to future market shifts, highlighting that the process of obtaining the IPG Mark constitutes an act of both economic and cultural protection for the Made in Italy brand.
At the end of the summit, participants visited the “Francesco Degni” Art High School, gaining access to the processing laboratories and the exhibition spaces of the Coral Museum. The tour of the museum allowed attendees to view a historical archive spanning over a century, consisting of artworks, engravings, and cameos created by the institute’s students. This activity was enriched by a practical demonstration of burin engraving procedures on shell fragments, performed at the workbench by master artisan Ciro Mazza and his students, to illustrate the practical methodologies for passing down technical skills from one generation to the next.
The meeting was promoted by Assocoral and the Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese, in collaboration with the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), and organized in partnership with CIBJO. It was held under the patronage of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), Confindustria Federorafi, Confcommercio Federpreziosi, Assogemme, D.OR. Campania, Federalberghi Costa del Vesuvio, and GAL Parthenope. The second edition of the event is scheduled for 2027.
