Conde Nast wrote, “Istanbul’s cultural scene is poised for the global spotlight in 2022”, and that certainly seems the case. With a slew of fabulous new restaurants and attractions, and a great art scene, many talented Turkish jewellery designers are now based in the city or inspired by its incredible architecture and Ottoman past.
Turkish Jewellery Designers
Photo Credit: Sevan Biçakçi
Sevan Biçakçi
Susanne Fowler of the New York Times once said, “calling Sevan Biçakçi a jeweller is like calling Michelangelo a carver”. Servan is inspired by Turkish history and architecture, with many of his most notable pieces celebrating Istanbul’s Ottoman and Byzantine past. To quote a private collector, “Sevan is a mythologist and archaeologist: he unveils layers of history with a rare poetry”.
Photo Credit: Sevan Biçakçi
Sevan is of Armenian descent, born in Istanbul. Having trained as a master jeweller, Sevan opened a workshop and worked for over a year on his first collection that was unveiled to the international market back in 2002. His eye for detail and striking Ottoman inspired pieces were a hit with the A-listers leading him to be known as the “King of Rings”. He quickly gained popularity and became a jeweller to the stars. Many celebrities wore his pieces, including Elizabeth Hurley, Celine Dion, Brooke Shields, Liv Tyler, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Photo Credit: Sevan Biçakçi
Sevan Bıçakçı is one of Türkiye’s most notable fine jewellers and has received many distinguished awards. He won the Town and Country Couture Award, was nominated for the Jameel Prize Award and was also nominated as one of the top five most notable freelance jewellery designers by Tanzanite Foundation. If you want to know more about Sevan or his collections, he has several stores, including one in Istanbul and Miami. www.sevanbicakci.com
Photo Credit: Peracas
Beyza Arman – Peracas
Beyza Arman defines her brand Peracas as “timeless, romantic and refined”. Having studied in Istanbul and spent time in Paris and San Francisco, her journey into jewellery started in Italy, where she first designed and commissioned pieces for herself in Milan. This sparked the concept to create a brand of fine jewellery inspired by nature, art and Greek mythology and ultimately led to the foundation of Peracas in 2018.
Photo Credit: Peracas
Peracas is a brand aimed at the sophisticated modern woman. Each item in Beyza’s collection has a story and takes inspiration from the likes of a Botticelli painting or a Greek Goddess. Each ring or pendant is uniquely crafted in Istanbul, using carefully selected semi-precious stones, crystals and gold plating. Beyza’s designs are different, and her artistry is now gaining a lot of attention internationally. www.peracas.com
Photo Credit: ECCE
Ece Senyildiz – ECCE
Ece Şenyıldız grew up with an interest in jewellery and dreamt of having her brand from a young age. With a background in working for a British accessory giant and developing global brands for advertising agencies, Ece took the leap to set up her Turkish brand ECCE in 2017.
Photo Credit: ECCE
Ece is the owner and designer for her brand. She uses diamonds, precious stones and metals to create contemporary, eye-catching, minimal pieces aimed at the elegant, modern woman. Her focus is on highlighting the quality of each piece, and she emphasises the craftsmanship and diamond quality throughout her collections. www.eccediamonds.com
Photo Credit: Monapetra
Iris Sulos Ozbas and Begum Ozbas – Monapetra
Monapetra is a Turkish jewellery brand run by two good friends, İris Süloş Özbaş and Begüm Özbaş. Iris and Begun met studying visual arts at university, and both are daughters of architects who grew up with an appreciation for great design.
Photo Credit: Monapetra
The Monapetra concept was born following a vacation in Rome, where their travels, the history, architecture, mosaics and the natural and precious stones were the inspiration behind their collection. The idea was to combine the ancient and the modern to produce a stylish range of rings, bracelets, and pendants that women can wear every day. Monapetra pieces are a clever interpretation of times-gone-by taken into the modern-day. www.monapetra.com
Photo Credit: 16.10 Istanbul
Idil Aksoy and Irem Boza – 16.10 Istanbul
Another talented duo of friends that have emerged on the Turkish jewellery scene in 2016 are İdil Aksoy and İrem Boza. Their sustainable jewellery brand, 16.10 Istanbul, reflects various districts and elements of the city and is gaining recognition internationally.
Photo Credit: 16.10 Istanbul
Idil and Irem’s 16.10 Istanbul brand was conceived while the girls were at university. They noticed that the fast-paced nature of modern life meant many of the most beautiful elements of Istanbul went unnoticed. The concept of breathing life back into the beauty of the city districts through jewellery was new and led to the formation of their brand.
Photo Credit: 16.10 Istanbul
Idil and Irem not only capture the spirit of Istanbul in their work, they are also passionate about the sustainability of their designs and are socially aware. Istanbul’s neighbourhoods inspire the majority of their collections, and they also have a Braille collection, where a percentage of each item sold is donated to charities that work with the visually impaired. www.1610istanbul.com
Photo Credit: Sevan Biçakçi
SHOP FOR TURKISH JEWELLERY IN ISTANBUL
There are many fabulous fine and costume Turkish jewellers in Istanbul and along the coast. If you would like us to arrange a bespoke shopping trip with and professional guide, or simply want a few pointers on who is trending in Türkiye at the moment, please CONTACT US.
