Industry Outlook with David Brough: December

02 Jan 2024

By David Brough

A visit to the heart of Italy’s coral and cameo industry

TORRE DEL GRECO, Italy – A vast array of exquisite contemporary and period hand-crafted coral jewellery and objects, as well as extraordinary cameo, is showcased at the Liverino Museum by appointment.

A 15-minute drive from Naples, Torre del Greco is the home of coral and cameo carving in Italy, and is the headquarters of leading companies in the sector, notably Liverino, a family-owned manufacturer which dates back to 1894.

Now led by Enzo Liverino, who is well known in the international jewellery trade for his work with CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, and his focus on standards and sustainability in coral, Liverino’s coral and cameo production supplies leading jewellery brands around the world.

The coral jewellery and objects on display at the museum include contemporary pieces as well as historic items, including a coral necklace ordered for Joséphine de Beauharnais, who was married to Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century.

Other historic objects include a shepherd, probably part of “The Coral Mountain”, a Mediterranean coral item carved in Trapani on the west coast of Sicily that was given to Philip II, King of Spain, by the Vice-King of Sicily in 1570.

Items on display at the museum include decorative garments carved in coral and other materials, outstanding examples of Asian coral, a John Wayne “Western” sculpture in coral, as well as cameo pieces, including European crafted items such as a large and extremely rare Sardonyx shell cameo celebrating the British empire and depicting Queen Victoria, carved by Giovanni Sabbato over a decade in the late 19th century.

Liverino’s sprawling facility in Torre del Greco, with views of the Neapolitan coastline, includes the coral and cameo factory that uses traditional tools to hone exceptional items of contemporary jewellery.

Enzo Liverino has donated a number of extraordinary hand-carved coral objects and sculptures to the community of Naples, including the Pio Monte della Misericordia, which showcases a remarkable painting by Caravaggio, and inside the museum housing the celebrated Treasure of San Gennaro.

To visit the Liverino Museum, please email: info@liverino1894.com

Exploring Bath’s independent jewellery scene

BATH, England – The elegant Georgian city centre of Bath in southwest England offers a vibrant and creative mix of independent retail jewellers, spanning imaginatively designed high to lower-end products, from bespoke gem-set pieces to costume jewellery, catering for all tastes.

Starting out from the Royal Hotel, opposite the railway station, on a grey afternoon before Christmas, I venture out to discover the offering of jewellers in this charming city and quickly stumble upon brands like Pandora and Tag Heuer in SouthGate, a pedestrianised area reminiscent of town centres across England.

But I am more interested in delving into the eclectic variety of independent jewellers, which keep a low profile in the back streets, to understand what scope of jewellery choice is to be found here.

Amidst a merry atmosphere in the final days before Christmas, as autumnal darkness descends upon the city centre, shoppers have a wide choice of jewellery, particularly around Northumberland Place, close to the luminous Bath Abbey, an area characterized by narrow streets and plentiful independent retailers, from chic clothing to speciality tea shops.

Central Bath, dominated by its majestic honey-brown Georgian architecture, is a congenial, pedestrian-friendly shopping destination where visitors can dip in and out of tea, coffee and book shops between forays to explore the local jewellery scene.

The jewellery around Northumberland Place ranges from bespoke gem- and diamond-set 18-carat gold and platinum creations from eponymous goldsmith Nicholas Wylde, who also has his own Wylde Flower Diamond range, a play on words, and fine jewellery items designed and handcrafted on the premises of Gold & Platinum Studio; to silver jewellery from The Silver Gift Shop, and Ganesha; and unusual gemstones, and even fossils, from Crystals, next to Nicholas Wylde.

In the nearby characterful Bath Guildhall Market, jewellery aficionados choose between designer silver jewellery at Utopia Silver Jewellery and costume and beaded jewellery at the humorously entitled Not Cartiers.

Just outside the city centre, the Holburne Museum showcases examples of rare antique cameo and intaglio jewellery.

Highlights of the collection of Sir Thomas William Holburne (1793-1874) in the Posnett Gallery include a remarkable Renaissance (16th Century) Italian agate cameo that probably shows the birth of Venus, the goddess of love.

Another standout is a ring with an intaglio of the god Mercury.

The Roman (late first century BC) aquamarine beryl sealstone, on gold mounts, is the finest ancient gem in the museum’s collection.

(Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author, who has no commercial relationship with any of the jewellers mentioned here.)

Source: David Brough (Jewellery Outlook)