Turkey – Taking our Paua Shell Jewellery to the world
Turkey is a nation straddling Eastern Europe and western Asia with cultural connections to ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Cosmopolitan Istanbul, on the Bosphorus Strait, is home to the iconic Hagia Sophia, with its soaring dome and Christian mosaics, the massive 17th-century Blue Mosque and the circa-1460 Topkapı Palace, former home of sultans.
The court records dating from 1526 indicate that there were 90 Jewellery artisans in the service of the Sultan. The art of Ottoman Jewellery making reached its peak in the 16th century, with gold and precious stones applied not only to wearable Jewellery but also to articles of everyday objects such as book covers, utensils, weapons etc. using a variety of materials such as leather, ivory, glass, bone, mother-of-pearl, horn, wood and metals such as zinc.
The 5,000-year-old jewellery tradition of Turkish lands is reflected in the Turkish jewellery industry’s exports to 153 countries. But they also import our unique New Zealand Paua Shell Jewellery.
In particular one piece is proving extremely popular in Turkey
GP791/PO791 Peacock Brooch the unfolding of a Peacock’s tail feathers is effortlessly beautiful and captivating – as elegant as a ballet dancer telling a story of romance, sensuality and allure. To sight the vibrant iridescent blues and greens of a Peacock’s tail feathers is truly a beauty to behold. We have replicated this beauty on our elegant Peacock brooch with a large etched Paua Shell panel of the same vibrant colours.