CITES certificate

Antiques bear witness to distant eras and, for this very reason, may reflect a different sensibility from today’s on issues such as respect for the environment and animals. This applies in particular to goods containing materials that are now protected by law, such as ivory, tortoiseshell, coral, bones, animal skins or rare woods.

CITES is the international convention that protects endangered animal and plant species and regulates their trade and exploitation. This legislation also applies to the antiques market, where it is not uncommon to come across items made from materials that are now protected, the sale of which requires specific certification.

What is CITES

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), also known as the Washington Declaration, is an international agreement that protects thousands of animal and plant species from the risk of extinction.. Signed in 1973, it is currently in force in over 180 countries, including Italy, which ratified it in 1975. In 1997, EC Regulation No. 338 replaced the national laws of each individual European state and is now the reference legislation for all EU countries.

Species protected by CITES are divided into three categories:

  1. Highly protected species: trade is prohibited.
  2. Species under commercial control: trade is only permitted with a CITES certificate certifying its origin and guaranteeing that its survival is not compromised.
  3. Species protected by individual states: some countries apply specific rules to protect endemic species, and each state may adopt more restrictive measures to further protect local fauna and flora.

CITES certification and antiques

What happens to antiques containing elements made from animal and plant materials from species that were not previously protected but are now protected by the CITES Convention? The legislation allows for an exemption to their trade provided that two conditions are met:

  1. It must be an object that has been artistically ‘worked’, i.e. transformed into a finished product (furniture, instrument, jewellery, etc.).
  2. It must be prior to 3 March 1947, i.e. 50 years before the European Regulation came into force.

Only if the product meets these criteria can it be marketed within the European Union. Therefore, every time if an antique item includes materials listed by the CITES Convention, it is mandatory to verify its age, workmanship and compliance in order to obtain certification from an expert for sale or, in the case of ivory, CITES certification from the relevant Carabinieri office. Both certificates authorise trade throughout the European Union. 

What happens, however, if the object dates from after 1947? In that case, it does not fall within the exemption provided for in the regulation and cannot be sold, unless authorisation was granted at the time of its production, but this is a rather rare occurrence.

CITES certificate: how to obtain the required documentation

In addition to being a legal obligation, complying with CITES regulations is also a gesture of respect for the environment and the animal and plant species that we have learned to protect over time. My job is to assist you in the purchase and sale of antiques that include materials covered by CITES so that you can act in compliance with regulations and with environmental awareness.

Here’s how I can help you:

01.
I examine your item, checking its materials, workmanship and age, and, if necessary, compare it with similar items already known on the market.
02.
If, upon examination of the artefact, I find that it is a crafted object dating back to before 1947, I draw up a certificate attesting that it can be placed on the market. If the object is made of ivory or includes elements made of this material, a specific authorisation for sale is required, which the Carabinieri issue after evaluating my certificate.

Selling ivory and other protected materials

Many antiques found on the market today were made in times when there were no regulations to protect the environment or endangered species. For this reason may contain materials that are now strictly regulated by the CITES Convention.
The most common are:

  • Ivory: used for inlays, sculptures, cutlery handles, piano keys or luxury accessories
  • Tortoise shell: used for jewellery and art objects, boxes, furniture veneers, frames
  • Corals, mother-of-pearl and shells: used for jewellery, sculptures, decorative art objects and to decorate furniture.
  • Precious woods: such as rosewood, often used for furniture, art objects and musical instruments
  • Exotic skins and furs: such as crocodile, shark, snake and leopard, used for upholstery, luxury items and furnishing accessories.
  • Animal bones, horns and teeth: crafted into walking sticks, jewellery and decorative items

In these cases, it is essential to first determine whether the item can be placed on the market and then under what restrictions and with what documentation, in order to comply with the regulations. Furthermore, certification issued by an expert can also protect against possible misunderstandings: for example, in cases where bovine bone has been used as an economical alternative to ivory. Having an item examined by an expert professional allows you to identify with certainty the material from which it was made.

Contact me

If you own an item made entirely or partly from materials protected by CITES and wish to sell it, please contact me. I will examine it and, if the conditions are met, I will draw up a technical certification authorising its sale. In the case of ivory, my certification is also required to obtain the CITES declaration from the Carabinieri.

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