Man on the Move - Strong orders, surge in visitor turnout at Istanbul Jewellery Show
12 Oct 2021
The Istanbul Jewellery Show, back after a prolonged break due to the pandemic, reported strong order flow, a sharp rise in visitors, and an influx of new gold jewellery manufacturer exhibitors.
A reduction of travel restrictions to Turkey made it easier for UK-based visitors to attend the show, located in the Istanbul World Trade Center business park.
View The Istanbul Jewellery Show
Online visitor registrations, mainly from the Middle East and Europe, were up 170 percent for the October 7-10, 2021, trade event, compared with 2019, before the crisis, organisers said.
Sermin Cengiz, founding partner of the Istanbul Jewelry Show, told the NAJ in an interview,
“After a two-year break exhibitors and buyers are hungry to work.”
During the height of the pandemic, Turkey’s jewellery, diamond and gemstone sector had lost around 30 percent of its turnover, according to the Jewellery Exporters’ Association (JTR).
Exhibitors at the show reported buoyant business, with some saying their order books were full at a time of skilled labour shortages, notably of polishers, in Turkey. Many of the orders were to fill demand during the festive season.
“After an absence of almost two years of in-person events, it is thrilling to be re-engaging in industry exhibitions again,”
Said Jacqui Larsson, a UK-based bespoke jeweller and council member of the London Diamond Bourse, who visited the Istanbul Jewelry Show for the first time.
“They are an opportunity to identify emerging trends, explore new innovations and cultivate relationships with new suppliers.
“Whilst the style of much of the ready to wear jewellery on display was not a natural fit with my audience, business was extremely brisk, and the event was a wonderful showcase for the impressive metal working skills of local producers.
“There was a variety of exhibitors, including an extensive range of gold mountings, ready to wear collections, and limited diamond and coloured stone producers present.”
The show attracted new exhibitors, notably gold jewellery manufacturers, another signal that Turkey is becoming an increasingly efficient supplier of manufactured jewellery to export markets, including the UK.
Turkish exporters have been making inroads into the UK market, fending off Italian competition to supply British Asian wholesalers and retailers.
Turkey is a leading provider of gold and silver jewellery, and diamond jewellery, as well as silver jewellery set with lower value gemstones.
Turkish jewellery exports are up sharply in value terms year-on-year in 2021, driven by surging demand in the United States and Middle East, and by the efficiency and flexibility of Turkish production, Mustafa Kamar, Chairman of JTR, said.
The total value of Turkish gold and silver jewellery, gemstone and diamond exports, excluding bullion, was estimated to be up 180 percent in 2021, compared with 2020, Kamar told the NAJ.
The United States is set to leapfrog other destinations such as Dubai and become the number 1 export market for Turkey’s jewellery and gemstone sector in value terms in 2021 after outstanding results achieved by Turkish exporters at the JCK show in Las Vegas this year.
Kamar Said,
“Turkey is very strong in production, flexibility, delivery and price.”
Turkish gold and silver jewellery production, including chains, provides stiff competition to Italian suppliers because Turkish manufacturers benefit from economies of scale as factories in Turkey tend to be bigger and labour costs lower than in Italy.
The Istanbul Jewelry Show showcased artisan designers in its “Designer Market”, such as Asya Ozkan, who handcrafts silver ear cuffs, and Ali Cicekli, who has created exceptional rings in precious metals inspired by Istanbul mosques.
View The Istanbul Jewellery Show
Source: David Brough