How much does gold, clothing and leather cost in Turkey - Your personal guide to European cities

Jewelry made in Turkey is popular all over the world. Travel agencies specially organize separate tours for thousands of tourists who want to buy exquisite jewelry made from Turkish gold, which is famous not only for its bright golden color, but also for its affordable prices, as well as the fine work of local jewelers who create exact copies of famous brands.

Advantages of Turkish products

There is an opinion that all the gold raw materials from which Turkish jewelers make their products are imported. In fact, Turkey has its own production well developed, although the mines are not very large, but traditionally it is customary to buy raw materials through an established channel from Germany and America. The style of jewelry is presented in three options:

• Turkish traditional - found in specialized stores where the local population buys gifts for special events, is distinguished by its high content of 24-carat pure gold and ornate oriental luxury;
• Byzantine - an interesting combination of yellow, white and red metal with a scattering of precious stones in various variations, with a purity of 22 and 24 carats;
• European - products in a modern style, from the finest weaves to massive and flashy decorations, often copied from the latest fashion developments, and very skillfully.

A distinctive feature of Turkish jewelers is the technique of dripping gold, thanks to which amazing “lace” is created. In addition to its external beauty, tourists are also attracted by its low cost. Although the price per gram of Turkish gold has increased significantly since 2021, it is still lower than prices for an alloy of similar purity in Russia and Europe and ranges from 30 to 50 dollars. The price depends both on the alloy (additional metals in the alloy) and on the complexity of the work.

Two factors - low cost and external beauty, which made Turkish products so popular, could not help but provoke competitors into "black" PR and rumors about low-quality raw materials containing nickel. After a number of ordered articles in the press, many tourists still doubt whether it is worth buying gold in Turkey.

Large stores in tourist areas can always present quality certificates for any product, and the owners personally check all products purchased from suppliers because they value their reputation. Of course, there is a risk of buying a fake, especially if you buy from inconspicuous shops of dubious appearance, but most shops in the resort area have existed for decades and strive to get regular customers.

Syrian gold in Turkey (21k gold in Turkey)

Syrian gold in Turkey differs from its Turkish counterpart in purity as regular gold in Turkey is used in jewelry for decoration and gold coins are 22 carats while Syrian gold is 21 carats.

Syrian gold has a cheap price, as it is usually 5% lower than Turkish gold.

Turkish gold can be distinguished from Syrian gold by color, as Turkish gold is light in color while Syrian gold is slightly reddish.

Syrian gold can only be bought and sold in Turkey from Syrian jewelers, as the Turks do not trade it.

Jewelry stores in Turkey

Few tourists realize that there are differences between shops. The design of the product and its price will depend on where exactly you decide to go for jewelry. In resort Turkey you can buy jewelry in one of three places.

Jewelry center

Huge shops with several floors in resort Turkey are located at some distance from the hotels and the center. They offer a free trip: a group of several people is recruited, buyers are taken shopping in an organized manner and returned to the hotel. There are two surprises from such a trip - the first is pleasant: tourists are delighted with the luxurious interiors of such centers, the service and the beauty of the decorations. But the second one turns out to be unpleasant: the prices are not at all as low as expected.

How to buy gold in shopping centers? Despite the fact that the establishment looks very respectable, bargaining is no less appropriate here than at a fruit and vegetable market. Reduce the price until it is acceptable. If the final price is still very high, but you like the product and your heart doesn’t want anything else, try the following maneuver: leave without purchasing it and return on your own another day.

Trip organizers charge the store a certain percentage for delivering the goods to customers, and often the seller keeps the price based on the amount of the intermediary's remuneration.

Pros: Shopping at jewelry centers is well organized, enjoyable and completely safe, and the selection of products is simply endless.

Cons: Prices may be higher than in smaller stores.

Small jewelry store

Every resort town and village has a bazaar. Tourists come here to stroll and buy a nice souvenir. There are also jewelry shops here. They sell very inexpensive children's earrings and bracelets, wedding rings, elegant items with precious stones and branded jewelry - Cartier and Roberto Bravo. Prices for the latter will be significantly lower than in Russian boutiques.

How to buy: when bargaining with the seller, take a closer look - is there a store owner on the horizon? The biggest discounts can only be obtained from the owner - a simple seller is limited in his powers, but the owner is often ready to sell the item with a minimal markup.

Jewelry stores for locals

They are located a little further from the resort center - as a rule, on the second or third line, in the area of ​​​​residential areas. Prices there may be lower than in the first two places. However, the design of the products will vary greatly. Oriental jewelry designed for Turks is offered.

Heavy, massive bracelets made of 22-karat gold are sold here - such jewelry is given to brides; Turkish women wear these bracelets almost without taking them off. You can also buy pure gold coins of different weights - quarter, half and whole.

It is best to go to a Turkish jewelry store for just such items. The jewelry here is suitable only for those who are interested in oriental design.

Turkish gold coins

Gold coins in Turkey are made of 22-karat gold and are considered an integral part of Turkish culture as coins are given as gifts at social events such as weddings and circumcision ceremonies.

Gold coins in Turkey are divided into two types: decorative coins, called ziynet altin, and Republic coins, which are called Cumhuriyet Altını .

Ornamental coins

The decorative coins feature an image of Ataturk on one side and the phrase “Turkish Republic” and the date of issue on the other.

The coin is decorated with stars and designs and has a handle on the top for hanging or gifting as a medal.

Quarter gold Turkish lira

The Turkish Golden Quarter is considered to be the most popular gold coin in Turkey as it is heavily used by Turks as a gift at social events.

"small gold-küçük altın in Turkey , as it is the smallest denomination of gold coins.

The gold quarter lyre weighs between 1.754 grams and 1.6065 grams and is made from 22 carats and has a diameter of 18 mm.

Quarter Turkish Golden Lira

Half Turkish Golden Lira

Half of a golden lyre weighs 3.5 grams and contains the equivalent of 3.21 grams of pure gold, while the remaining 0.29 grams is made of copper or silver.

Gold pollires are made of 22-karat gold, the diameter of the coin is 22 mm.

The image from right to left shows some of the gold coins in Turkey: "full lira, half lira, quarter lira".

Golden lyre

A 22 carat gold lire weighs about 7 grams and contains 6.42 grams of pure gold.

2.5 gold liras

2.5 gold lire is equal to 10 quarters of gold or 5 halves, and it is called Gremse, and its weight reaches 14 grams.

Its price is higher than other gold coins due to lack of production and difficulty of purchasing, many do not choose to invest in 2.5 gold lira as it is the least traded type of Turkish gold coin in the market.

Five gold lire

The five gold lira is considered a haven for investors as it is the highest coin among decorative gold coins, weighing up to 35 grams in 22k gold.

5 Turkish gold lira is one of the most valuable gifts, which in some places is called " beshi " and is given at weddings and circumcision ceremonies.

Republic gold

Republic gold is a type of gold that is slightly different from a decorative gold coin, it comes in a total of 10 different diameters and weights in five varieties such as five, two and a half, one, half and quarter.

The phrase "Republic of Turkey" and the founding date of the republic in 1923 are engraved on the railway coins on one side, while on the other end the phrase "Hakimiyet Milletindir" is written, meaning "sovereignty of the nation" and the word "Ankara" is written at the bottom.

The Treasury Mint issues railroad currency, and the following table provides a comparison of the weights of Republic gold and decorative gold.

Image showing the difference between Republic gold, "mint gold" and decorative gold."

Ottoman gold lyre "Rashad Gold"

The Ottoman gold lira, called "Rashad Altın", is a type of gold coin that was minted during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Rashad in 1909.

The weight of the Ottoman golden lira is 7.2 grams of 22 carat gold and its price is higher than the Turkish golden lira due to the difference in weight, as well as historical value and supply shortages.

The Ottoman gold lyre Rashad shares with the gold of the republic only 22-karat gold and differs in all other characteristics of the weight and diameter of the coin, as well as the inscription on it.

Ottoman gold lyre "Rashad Gold"

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Additional service

Any purchased product can be adjusted to size free of charge - stretched or reduced. There is always a special workshop next to the jewelry store or inside.

When making a purchase, you can ask to clean your old jewelry - everything is done very quickly and completely free. Engraving is done on children's bracelets or wedding rings.

The Turks readily accept orders - the jewelry they like is delivered to the store directly from the factory within 2-3 days.

Factors influencing the price

Thus, many additional factors influence how much a gram of gold will cost in Turkey. High-quality raw materials, natural precious stones, handicraft are always highly valued and products of this level can be much more expensive than Russian ones, especially if they are branded with the appropriate certificate.

The beauty is that Turkish craftsmen make excellent copies, identical to the branded ones, which can be purchased at half the price. In addition, pricing is affected by:

• huge competition in the market for the production and sale of jewelry;
• direct dependence on the quotation of the yellow metal on the international market;
• the country's position as the second largest seller of jewelry on the world stage.

Jewelry in cities not associated with tourism will cost much less than in the resort area, regardless of what standard of Turkish gold the buyer is interested in. In tourist places it is customary to bargain and, knowing this, sellers initially inflate prices so as not to sell at a loss. The situation on the international foreign exchange market, however, does not allow selling cheaper than 35-40 dollars per gram of 24-carat precious metal.

The unwritten rule of successful purchase and sale is that in a store in a tourist area it is permissible to bargain within 30% of the stated amount. No one will sell a product at a loss, so if the seller knocked off a third of the previously offered price, then you can safely buy, there is no fraud.

In stores at large factories, where thousands of tourists are brought from nearby hotels, the situation is different - the prices there are several times higher and you can confidently ask for them to be reduced by two or three times. The guides who accompany potential buyers and the general manager of the hall receive a certain percentage of sales, so it is not profitable for them for a person to leave without purchasing; accordingly, there is a high chance that the product will be sold at the real price.

You also need to remember that jewelry purchased during a tour to a large factory or in licensed stores “Hadrian Group”, “Roberto Bravo”, “Mona Lisa” legally fall under the category of the tax free discount system, even if the manager of the hall assures that it is not so. The cost of one gram of gold in such places does not fall below $50. The seller is required to issue a check for a refund of 18% of the purchase, which can be obtained in a special department at the airport. If, nevertheless, the buyer received a categorical refusal, then he can calmly ask for a discount for this amount when making a purchase in the store.

If the actual composition of the ligature does not matter to a person, but only the appearance and affordable prices at which he can buy exquisite gifts for all family members are important, then in Turkey this plan can be implemented without much difficulty by moving away from the central jewelry streets to less populated areas , focusing on how the product looks.

Buyers who value the quality and composition of gold should purchase it in licensed stores or buy a jewelry detector before traveling, which will absolutely detect a fake.

It is also worth paying attention to the shops with rows of massive Turkish bracelets and coins covering the entire window. This is where local people who know a lot about genuine gold buy. In such places, all products are 24 carat and there are never fakes, since it is a matter of honor.

Another thing is that oriental design and high prices may not satisfy tourists who are accustomed to big discounts. In stores for locals, prices are usually fixed, since Turks buy gold not only as a gift, but also as an investment, and price tags also reflect the dynamics of the metal’s price on the international market.

Features of sample and metal

In Turkey, red gold with the addition of copper is rarely found, although recently it has begun to appear in response to requests from Russian tourists who are accustomed to it. But traditionally, store owners prefer to buy batches of yellow and white gold with more expensive alloys of silver, platinum and palladium.

Common alloys

Jewelry factories purchase the alloy in the form of finished ingots in Europe and America and, given the ban in these countries on the addition of nickel, to which many people are allergic, the risk of buying a cheap fake is extremely low. However, you need to know that the quality of jewelry in Turkey can be divided into two types:

• Noble metal in its pure form with the addition of high-quality alloy, confirmed by international documentation and a certificate of warranty period. The hallmarks on the jewelry will also be of a high level: 999, which corresponds to 24 carats, and 917, which corresponds to 22 carats;
• An alloy from jewelry scrap and domestic raw materials, to which copper and sometimes even nickel are added in large quantities (for the platinum effect). The product will be marked “14K”; this standard of Turkish gold corresponds in carats to Russian 585.

A fake is usually easy to distinguish from the original even visually - by unnatural shades and the discrepancy between the high-level standard and the appearance. For example, when the marking 958 or “22K” is on metal of an openly red-yellow color, although copper in such an alloy is permissible only in a minimal amount. In reputable jewelry stores, for the peace of mind of customers, they will easily check the authenticity of the product they like using a jewelry detector.

Not tombak

The most affordable prices for precious metal products can be found in Istanbul. Sometimes they start at $25, but can reach $500-600 for 1 gram of the most complex handmade item. Such prices can be found in brand representative offices of Roberto Bravo and Favori. However, too low a price in shops remote from the center should alert you - is an unscrupulous seller trying to sell tombak?

This is the name of imitation gold products made from an alloy of copper and zinc, processed under special conditions. Outwardly, it can be difficult to distinguish it from a real precious metal, especially if there is a sample in carats, which many tourists saw for the first time only in Turkey, having no idea about the original.

Underground craftsmen can make homemade jewelry using the following trick - 1/3 of the necklace or bracelet is made of high-quality gold alloy , which is marked with the appropriate hallmark, and the remaining part is replaced with cheap metal, similar to noble metal only in color:

• electron - the safest and most acceptable option is an alloy of silver with gold or gold plating over Argentum 925 markings;
• polyxene platinum - with a huge number of cheap additives of a similar color;
• goldin - a mixture of aluminum and copper is used to imitate Soviet gold;
• Belgica - a fake of platinum and white gold in a combination of chrome, iron and nickel looks very similar to the original, but is harmful to health for those who are prone to allergies.

Buyers who are not particularly knowledgeable about precious metals can happily purchase low-grade jewelry of 9 carats, which corresponds to 375 fineness, for pennies, and will subsequently be surprised when making purchases in certified stores to find out how much gold costs in Turkey with a quality guarantee.

If the temptation to buy cheap is still great, then you need to check the product yourself. The easiest way to do this with a ring is to throw your own, tested one, and your favorite Turkish one at the same time. The ringing sound from a fallen decoration should be the same.

You can also buy a jewelry detector, but sometimes it is enough to pretend to be an expert buyer who will check the quality with a special rubber band or chemical stick so that the seller will tell you that there are other impurities in the composition. Of course, this only applies to small shops of dubious reputation. Even at the famous Kapala Çarshi market in Istanbul, it is better to make purchases on the main street , and not at the entrance and exit.

Gold color

For those who are not accustomed to European jewelry, Turkish jewelry looks unusual. Some even begin to doubt whether they are really made of gold? The fact is that European jewelry is most often made of yellow gold. There are only three shades in total:

• Red gold (traditional for Russia) received its hue due to the admixture of copper.
• Yellow - the proportion of copper here is very small, the composition includes silver.
• White - gets its noble shade, different from silver products, due to the admixture of palladium.

For 20 years, the Turks have already taken into account the commitment of Russian tourists to red gold, so it is included in the assortment. Turkish jewelry made from 2-3 types of gold is very beautiful.

About Turkish Gold

Gold is of great importance in Turkish society and Turkish culture in general, as Turks use gold coins for investment and savings, as well as for gifts at social events.

According to some statistics, the Turkish people saved more than 3,500 tons of gold.

In general, there are 4 types of 24 carat gold in Turkey, which is used in the production of gold bars and sold in banks electronically, and is marked on the bar with the number 999.9.

22 carat, which is considered the most common type of gold in circulation in Turkey, where jewelry is produced to decorate some bars in addition to gold coins.

18 karat and 14 karat, from which some jewelry and jewelers are made.

Try

The yellow tint does not affect the sample in any way - it is the same here, 585. It is only designated differently - the number 585 corresponds to 14K (karat). Products with precious stones are often higher, 750 grade or 18K. And finally, pure gold (coins and bracelets) have 999 purity - 24K.

There must be a hallmark on the back of the product, but it can be indicated by carat value - there is no deception here.

In large shopping centers, a certificate is issued for each product, which indicates the carat of gold (fineness) and the carat (size) of precious stones. A separate certificate must also be issued for designer products from Cartier, Tiffani, Roberto Bravo.

TURKISH RUGS

We can talk about Turkish carpets for a long time, but we will summarize briefly - they are one of the most popular purchases among foreigners. A carpet store in Turkey is Ali Baba's cave - you can get lost among the wealth of colors, sizes and prices. An experienced seller will tell you about each piece you like, you can check the quality of the coloring and how the carpet was woven - by machine or by hand.

TIP 5. If you don’t want to run into a fake and buy a real Turkish carpet, you should contact your tour operator’s hotel guide: he will tell you which stores sell real products and can organize a free transfer to them. Otherwise - advice on the street, advertising, etc., you can buy for a very high cent something that is not a Turkish carpet.

The carpets are quite voluminous in size even when folded, and if the buyer wishes, representatives of the shopping center can arrange delivery for the flight home. Also, when purchasing a carpet in an official store with a receipt, you can receive a VAT refund upon departure from Turkey.

Turkish gold: fineness, prices per gram and main differences

The gilded product takes on a milky hue. If the gold is real, then no reaction will take place.

Sound test

If you take a gold item and throw it onto the surface of the table, then the real metal will ring loudly, like crystal. For such an experience, rings, earrings, but not long jewelry (chains, bracelets) are suitable.

Vinegar test

Pour some vinegar into the container and place the decoration there. Nothing bad will happen to real gold, but fake gold will darken in two minutes.

Iodine test

Iodine is a very good test for the authenticity of jewelry. To do this, you only need to apply one drop to the inside of the product. Gold will remain unchanged. The fake decoration will darken. It can turn either light gray or black.

ANY CHEMICAL TEST IS POSSIBLE ONLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE DECORATION. THE INSIDE IS CHECKED WHEN A PERSON IS READY TO DESTROY THE PRODUCT.

You can also ask experts how to distinguish gold from a fake, who will help you quickly and using several ways to determine whether the jewelry is real. Gilding is almost real metal.