Jewelry
Jewelry design has been an important part of Turkey’s history for 5000 years. Ottoman jewelry was ornate and extremely colorful. Jewelers have been using a variety of metals in each piece. This use of multiple materials differentiates Turkish designs from most European jewelry. It is typically crafted from a single metal, usually silver or gold.
Strict symmetry and balance is another signature of Ottoman-influenced designs. Often mirroring the natural geometry of the gemstones used in jewelry.
Designers are looking back to that era for inspiration. They say “We are looking for modern design with a sense of our cultural history. These kinds of lines do exist, where companies are using cultural ties to build a new collection. Turkish Design represents as “Modern design with a sense of cultural history” in the World Gold Council in Turkey.
Spooner Diamond in Topkapi Palace
Turkish Jewelry and the first largest diamond of its kind in the world is in Topkapi Palace Museum, too. Turkish people calls this piece as Spoon maker’s Diamond (Turkish: Kasikci Elmasi). This piece is 86 carats (17gr) pear-shaped diamond. It is the pride of the Imperial Treasury. The treasury of Topkapi Palace has been quite famous in all over the world. Especially this biggest diamond of the world and Topkapi Dagger are the most famous ones. Even a movie called Topkapi was filmed in 1964 by US film makers.
There is literally a plethora of good jewelry shops in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul. The price-quality ratio is great. The selection of models incredibly vast and the craftsmanship frequently excellent. Even one of Turkish Jeweler Sevan Bicakci have become best jeweler of the world with his pieces.
Since you plan on purchasing high value goods, I would advise you to look a little in advance into the ground rules of oriental negotiation though.
Additionally, this will not be the Tiffany or Harrods experience. There are cultural differences that you might want to be aware of, in order to get the best deal and have a pleasant shopping experience. But also, buyers sould not forget the respect to piece while negotiating. Because each piece is hand made and takes days and days to complete.