Our Origins
The Tessitore story began in Naples in 1888, in a city where art and passion run as deep as the sea. From a small family workshop, the flame of a goldsmithing tradition was lit — one that has now been lovingly passed down through five generations.
Jewelry was never just ornament. It was memory, ritual, and meaning. A family legacy written in gold.
The Bell and Capri
In the 1920s, master goldsmith Enrico Tessitore created a small bell inspired by a tender legend from the island of Capri. It told of a shepherd boy guided by the sound of a bell given to him by Saint Michael — a symbol of protection and luck. Thus was born the Capri Bell, or Campanella, a charm that would become part of Italy’s cultural soul.
The bell soon travelled far beyond Capri. In 1945, a bronze version bearing the effigy of Saint Michael was gifted to President Franklin D. Roosevelt to celebrate the end of World War II. He rang it in Washington as a sign of peace — a moment that still echoes in time.
But the bell’s story didn’t end there.
It was on the sun-kissed cliffs of Capri that Enrico Tessitore met Pietro Capuano, a charismatic figure who would later found the famed Chantecler jewelry house. United by friendship and vision, the two crafted a new version of the bell: the Chantecler Bell, this time adorned with a joyful rooster — le coq — symbol of awakening.
From a shepherd’s legend to a jewel worn by the world’s most elegant women, the bell became an icon. And through it, the name Tessitore became entwined with the spirit of Capri itself.
The Tubogas Legacy
While the bell brought fame, it was TuboGas that defined Tessitore’s soul.
Since 1935, our family has specialized in the ancient art of creating TuboGas jewelry — a flexible, seamless gold coil inspired by Roman engineering and crafted entirely by hand.
Each piece is formed with infinite care, using no soldering, only skill and tradition passed down from artisan to artisan. TuboGas is not just a style — it’s a language. A movement. A golden thread connecting history to innovation.
A Timeless Promise
Today, in our Naples atelier, Tessitore1888 continues to celebrate the harmony between tradition and evolution. We create jewelry that holds stories, carries memory, and honors the past while looking toward the future.
Our jewels are more than adornment — they are the expression of a promise kept: to preserve beauty, to protect craftsmanship, and to pass on the fire of creativity to the next generation.
The History of TuboGas (Gaspipe) Jewelry
The origins of TuboGas—also known as Gaspipe jewelry—can be traced back to ancient Rome. Early examples featured two gold wires intricately intertwined, creating a remarkably flexible structure. These designs, often referred to as “snake chains,” were prized for their elasticity and length. They could be worn comfortably along various parts of the arm, thanks to the soft grip they provided. Although technically different from the TuboGas we know today, these ancient pieces are considered its earliest forerunners.
Modern TuboGas jewelry began to take form in the 19th century, primarily in Italy and France. This distinctive technique, which involves wrapping interlocking gold or metal bands without soldering, became a hallmark of Italian craftsmanship. While always part of Italy’s artisanal heritage, TuboGas continued to evolve over the decades.
It was in the 1970s that TuboGas gained international recognition—largely through the work of Bulgari, the renowned Roman jewelry house founded in 1884. Bulgari brought TuboGas to the forefront with iconic collections of rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and even watches, where the flexible tubing became the central design element. The global success of these collections led many to associate the TuboGas look with Bulgari itself, earning it the nickname “Bulgari chain.”
However, long before this success, heritage companies such as Tessitore1888 in Naples (established in 1888) and Weingrill in Verona (since 1879) were already producing TuboGas jewelry, using traditional handcrafting methods that still define excellence today.
TuboGas Today
Today, TuboGas—or Gaspipe—jewelry is a cornerstone of luxury boutiques around the world. In Italy, industrial production centers like Arezzo and Vicenza manufacture TuboGas components using machines, offering lower-cost alternatives that sacrifice some of the quality and detail of artisanal work.
In contrast, cities like Naples, Verona, and Florence remain home to a small number of artisans—like those at Tessitore1888—who continue to produce TuboGas jewelry entirely by hand. These craftsmen preserve the rare knowledge and techniques passed down through generations, ensuring each piece is unique in quality and beauty.
TuboGas has become an enduring classic: a symbol of refined Italian design and skilled craftsmanship. For over a century and across five generations, our family has specialized in TuboGas, which over the past 30 years has become the heart of our production.
We are now working on a book to honor this extraordinary tradition—its beauty, its history, and the craftsmanship behind it—so that it may be preserved and appreciated by future generations.
If you have questions, insights, or simply wish to connect, we welcome you to reach out.
Today TuboGas jewels are a must in jewelry boutiques all around the world.
In Italy there are many industrial factories producing TuboGas in Arezzo and Vicenza. Their product though, being machine-made, is of a lower quality and cheaper.
Only in Naples (Tessitore1888), Verona and Florence there are some companies that still produce TuboGas the old way, handmade, thanks to the know-how of the few skilled artists and artisans left. The quality of our product is unique and can’t be reproduced anywhere else.
TuboGas jewels are a classic and an evergreen.
The promise I made to who came before me is to keep this ancient tradition alive, and pass it to the next generation.
These notes are the fruit of decades of experience on the field of my family. It is over a century and 5 generations that our family produce TuboGas jewels and in the past 30 years they are become the main product of our business; this is why we would like to write a book about it, to cherish this ancient tradition and make it eternal. Because the beauty has to perdure, and with it the craftmanship that made it possible.
If you have anything to add on the matter or any requests you are welcome to email us.
Thank you.
Enrico Tessitore
TuboGas Nowdays
