Ottoman Jewelry History: Palace Goldsmiths, Gems and Lasting Motifs

Ottoman jewelry was the goldwork and gem-setting of the Ottoman Empire, which lasted from around 1300 until 1922. It is known for gold set with large colored stones such as emeralds, rubies and turquoise, for court workshops of palace goldsmiths in Istanbul, and for floral and scrolling motifs like the tulip and the rumi that still appear in Turkish jewelry today.

As goldsmiths working in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, a market founded in the Ottoman era, we live with this history every day. This article sticks to well-established facts and broad patterns, because Ottoman jewelry spans six centuries and a vast territory.

A long history in brief

The Ottoman state began in northwest Anatolia around 1300. After Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453, the city, later widely known as Istanbul, became the imperial capital. Soon afterwards, he ordered the building of a covered market at its center, the core of what became the Grand Bazaar. Goldsmiths and jewelers have worked there ever since. Our article on the history of Grand Bazaar goldsmiths tells that story in more detail.

Over the following centuries the empire reached into southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its jewelry absorbed influences from Byzantine, Persian, Arab and Balkan craft traditions, and later from European fashion.

The palace workshops

The Ottoman court supported an organization of palace artisans known as the Ehl-i Hiref, roughly "the people of talent." Records from the 16th century list craftsmen in many specialties working for the palace, including goldsmiths, gem-setters, engravers and other metalworkers. They produced jewelry, ceremonial objects, weapons with jeweled hilts, and gifts for diplomacy.

Outside the palace, goldsmiths in Istanbul and other cities were organized in guilds, which regulated training, standards and trade. Skills were usually passed from master to apprentice, and often from parent to child, a pattern that continues in many family workshops today. If you are curious about the craft itself, see what is a goldsmith.

The Topkapı Palace treasury

Topkapı Palace in Istanbul was the main residence of the sultans for centuries and has been a museum since the early Republic. Its Imperial Treasury holds some of the most famous Ottoman jeweled objects, including:

• The Topkapı Dagger: an 18th-century dagger with large emeralds on the hilt.
• The Spoonmaker's Diamond: a large pear-shaped diamond surrounded by a double row of smaller diamonds.
• Jeweled thrones, aigrettes and ceremonial objects decorated with gold, emeralds, rubies, pearls and rock crystal.

These pieces show the court's taste for bold stones and dense, rich ornament.

Favorite stones and materials

Many earlier Ottoman stones were polished as smooth cabochons or table cuts rather than the many-faceted cuts common today, which gives the pieces a soft, glowing color. Our guides to turquoise jewelry and gemstone meanings look at these stones in modern jewelry.

14K Solid Gold Turquoise Station Necklace View Turquoise Station Necklace on Etsy 14K Solid Gold Turquoise Station Bracelet View Turquoise Station Bracelet on Etsy

Signature motifs

The tulip

The tulip was one of the most loved flowers in Ottoman art, appearing on tiles, textiles and jewelry. The early 18th century is even known as the Tulip Era (Lale Devri) for the period's passion for the flower.

Rumi and hatayi

Rumi designs are stylized, split-leaf scrolls, while hatayi designs are stylized flowers and blossoms. Both appear widely in Ottoman decorative arts, including engraved and pierced goldwork.

Carnations, leaves and saz style

Carnations, hyacinths and long serrated leaves, often called the saz style, became characteristic of 16th-century court design.

Crescent and star

The crescent and star became closely associated with the Ottoman state and remain on the Turkish flag today. Read more in our article on the crescent moon and star meaning.

14K Solid Gold Crescent Moon Star Necklace View Crescent Moon Star Necklace on Etsy

Techniques Ottoman goldsmiths were known for

• Gem-setting in raised gold collets: stones set high in gold mounts, often clustered.
• Filigree (telkari): fine twisted gold or silver wire formed into lace-like patterns.
• Niello (savat): a black metallic inlay used on silver to highlight engraved designs.
• Enamel: colored glass fused to metal.
• Repoussé and chasing: shaping metal from behind and refining it from the front.

Jewelry beyond the palace

Court treasures are only part of the picture. Across the empire, women in towns and villages wore jewelry that marked marriage, family wealth and regional identity. Common pieces included large decorative belt buckles, headpieces and forehead ornaments, earrings, bracelets and necklaces strung with gold coins. Materials ranged from gold to silver depending on the family and region, and designs differed from one area to the next. Many of these customs, such as giving gold at weddings, live on today; see Turkish gold coin traditions.

Change in the 19th century

In the 19th century, as the empire opened to European influence, jewelry changed with it. Brooches, tiaras and diamond-set floral sprays in European styles became fashionable at court and among wealthy families, while regional traditions continued across Anatolia and the Balkans.

Ottoman style in jewelry today

Today, "Ottoman style" usually means bold gold with colored stones, textured or engraved surfaces and floral motifs. Modern pieces borrow these ideas while being made for everyday wear. Our chunky textured ring with scattered multicolored stones is one example of a modern design that nods to that look.

14K Solid Gold Chunky Ring Wide Textured Band View Chunky Ring Wide Textured Band on Etsy

Its stones are described on the listing; like most of our colored pieces, they are not presented as natural emeralds or rubies. You can explore related customs in Turkish jewelry traditions and Anatolian jewelry motifs, or browse our gold rings.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ottoman jewelry known for?

It is known for gold set with large colored stones such as emeralds, rubies and turquoise, for pearls, and for floral and scrolling motifs like the tulip, rumi and hatayi.

Where can I see Ottoman jewelry?

The Imperial Treasury at Topkapı Palace in Istanbul holds some of the most famous Ottoman jeweled objects, including the Topkapı Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond. Other museums in Turkey and abroad also hold Ottoman pieces.

Who made jewelry for the Ottoman sultans?

Palace artisans organized as the Ehl-i Hiref, including goldsmiths and gem-setters, made jewelry and objects for the court, alongside guild craftsmen in the city.

Is the Grand Bazaar from the Ottoman period?

Yes. Its core was built on the orders of Sultan Mehmed II in the years after the 1453 conquest, and it grew over the following centuries.

Why is turquoise linked to Turkey?

The word turquoise comes from the French for "Turkish stone," because the gem reached Europe through Ottoman trade routes. It has long been popular in Turkish jewelry.