The art of coral and cameo: a goldsmith tradition between sea, myth and material

Red Mediterranean coral has been one of the most sought-after materials in Neapolitan jewellery for centuries.
It is especially worked in Torre del Greco (a town on the slopes of Vesuvius), but also in city workshops. Coral is collected using regulated techniques and transformed into:
• amulets (such as the lucky horn)
• engraved cameos
• filigree jewellery
• crucifixes, brooches, earrings
The crafting process is entirely manual: coral is smoothed, engraved, polished.
Each piece is unique. The colours range from deep red to pale pink, and each hue is enhanced by the artisan’s touch.

A cameo is an engraving on shell or layered stone, playing with the colour contrast between layers to create raised images.
Traditionally, it depicts female profiles, mythological scenes, still lifes — but also contemporary subjects reinterpreted in classical style.
In Naples, and especially in Torre del Greco, the cameo school has reached outstanding levels of excellence:
• carved by hand with burins and drills
• made using shells from warm seas
• passed on through generations of new engravers
The Neapolitan cameo was once a noble cult object, but also a popular ornament. Even today, it is sought after for its aesthetic value and lightness, which makes it easy to wear.

Coral and cameo are more than jewellery — they are memories in relief.
Objects passed down, gifted, preserved. Often linked to rites of passage (births, weddings, communions) or to protective functions (such as warding off the evil eye).
It’s no coincidence that many people wear a small coral horn or engraved pendant, discreetly, as part of a cultural continuity.
Today, alongside the historic workshops, there are contemporary designers who reinterpret these materials with new languages: abstract forms, minimalist jewellery, combinations with other natural materials.
Tradition and innovation coexist — effortlessly.
The art of coral and cameo is one of the most refined expressions of Neapolitan craftsmanship: ancient, distinctive, and still alive.
A knowledge that can be touched, worn, and passed on.