Istanbul Jewelry Show will take place from 16 to 19 March2023. A few days before the upcoming edition, it is my pleasure to interview with Şermin Cengiz, Founding partner of Istanbul Jewelry Show.
Before speaking about the IJS, can you describe the current situation of the jewelry industry in Turkey?
The history of gold production in the world dates back to 4000 BC. The history of gold processing in Anatolia dates back to 3000 BC. During the archaeological excavations in Alacahöyük, a 5,000-year-old jewelery workshop and hand tools were found. Nowadays, according to the data of the Ministry of Commerce, approximately 250-300 tons of gold jewelry are produced in our country every year. Turkey is among the top 10 countries in the world’s gold jewelery production. The sector is among the largest of the Turkish manufacturing sectors and employs approximately 250 thousand people. There are approximately 5 thousand manufacturers and 35 thousand retail stores in the sector.
As can be seen from the figures, we can say that it is a sector of strategic importance.
So now it’s time to introduce IJS in general for those who are not familiar yet. Can you tell us a little bit about this major event in the area?
Istanbul Jewelry Show is among the top 5 jewelery fairs in the world, which has brought together the important brands and buyers of the industry since 1986. Istanbul Jewelry Show, the largest fair of the region, which has been held uninterruptedly since 1986, offers unique information sharing and business opportunities for all jewelry professionals from Eastern Europe to the Near East, from Russia to North Africa, from the CIS Countries to the Middle East. At the same time, we bring together a value-added industry on an international platform. This situation also provides a significant dynamism to the country’s economy. 80% of our jewelry exports are realized in our fairs held twice a year. We become an important meeting point for those who want to follow the trends in the sector.
How many exhibitors and from which country will be present in March’s edition in 2023?
1.500 exhibitors, Germany, USA, United Arab Emirates, India, Hong Kong, Ö.İ.B, China, Lithuania, Lebanon, Egypt, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Spain and Italy will take part in the March 2023 fair. . There will also be pavilions of the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Italy and China.
What range of products can the visitors find at IJS?
At the Istanbul Jewelry Show, visitors can find gold, jewellery, diamonds, colored stones, precious and semi-precious stones, pearls, silver, silver jewelry, silver household goods, gold mounts, refineries, watches, mold products and services. They can also find products and services such as window decoration, machinery-equipment, sub-industry, safe, software, logistics and lighting.
I noticed during my last visit at IJS that sustainability is not an empty world for you but takes all sense into meaningful actions. What steps do you take this time?
At the fair, we draw attention to the importance of many environmentally sensitive works and sustainability. At the last organized October 2022 fair, we collected 98 tons of garbage and recycled it. In order to reduce the carbon emissions of the event, we carry out our fair with sustainability studies by carrying out studies such as to reduce the printed materials, to recycle the badges and fair carpets, to save electricity by using LED technology, to make the visitor surveys online via tablet to reduce the paper usage, to minimize the CO2 emission, the exhibitors and the visitors are transported to the fairground by public transportation.
I appreciated a lot the Designer Club with a very interesting selection of talents and the workshop’s with craftsmen who demonstrate their skills. Will this area be present in this edition too?
We support the development of the industry. We believe that sustainability should be in every field. Once again, with the Designer Club, a joint project of the Jewelry Exporters’ Association and Istanbul Jewelry Show, jewelry designers and craftsmen display their designs and jewelry at a special stand reserved for the Designer Club. Thus, valuable designers and masters of the jewelry industry have the chance to introduce their collections to members of the jewelry industry. Designer Club, while increasing the sectoral design awareness, also provides new job opportunities and develops its business network.
Can you give us a brief overview of the Art for Jewellery project?
It is a culture and art movement started in the jewelry industry with the support of the Jewelry Exporters’ Association and Istanbul Jewelry Show. “Art for Jewellery – Inspiration Hub” aims to reflect and increase the impact of art and works of art, which open broad horizons and have a philosophy of perceiving the world, in the jewelery industry, in order to inspire different designs that the industry needs and to support creating high quality content. It is an event that aims to contribute art and artists to the jewelery industry with different projects. Art of Jewelery is a live event and exhibition space where seminars presenting the latest jewelery trends, panels with special guests and many different events are held simultaneously through WGSN, the world’s #1 trend forecasting firm.
