Talking about Coral with Vincenzo Aucella

This morning at 9:30 a.m. in Gem Square - Hall 3.1, the new series of Gem Talks, in partnership with the Italian Gemological Institute (IGI), begins, dedicated to "The Wonder of Precious Coral." We got a preview of what’s going to be discussed from Vincenzo Aucella, president of Assocoral since March 2019, and event speaker alongside Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, Rui Galopim de Carvalho, vice president of the Coral Commission at CIBJO, and Ken Scarrat, Ceo of Danat - Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones «For us, sustainability needs to be developed completely, based on two main directives: on one side, the collection of raw materials, and the manufacture on the other. It’s important to specify that while in the late 1980s we spoke of "fishing" coral by totally unregulated local fishermen, today we speak only of "collection," by fully licensed professional divers, with specialized equipment and hyperbaric chambers on the boats. The first national law for collecting coral passed in January 2019, an important milestone for Assocoral. After twelve years of work, for the first time, we have a series of rules to which every Italian region must adhere. Another important step we are working on is the approval of the GFCM – General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean – at FAO. The goal is to make sure that the collection of coral in all Mediterranean countries is regulated by one single directive. There is actually already something about the minimal collection. Coral must be measured at the base, the part that is attached to the rocks, and it cannot go below 8 mm. Mediterranean coral is deep-sea coral, which is collected at 50-100 meters. This is why we must rely on fully licensed professional divers who respect the quantity limits per year. In terms of certifications, we are making great strides in this area too. Assuming we aren’t doing gemological work, but work with information, we are working towards ensuring that coral also has its own color scale. Today, any gemological institute can certify that its coral or not, and each has its own parameters. But there is no valid procedure for everyone also because as the request for certification is much lower than that of, say, diamonds, there isn’t much interest in investing in this topic. But on our side, we are trying to create a blockchain for all the Assocoral associates to define a color scale because a lighter or darker shake could determine the value. We are counting on being ready next year, so we can transmit this work to all of the gemological institutes. Lastly, the first memorandum of understanding was signed 6 September 2019, with IEG. Assocoral is committed to seeing Vicenzaoro as the most important jewelry fair for coral and cameos, opening a direct channel of communication and offering ourselves as guarantors for our companies.»