Turkish gold is gold that is made in Turkey, a country with a long metalworking tradition. It is not a single standard, and this is the point most descriptions miss: the purity varies widely. Turkey’s official hallmarks run from 9ct through to 24ct. In everyday retail jewellery, 14ct (585) and 18ct (750) are the most common, while the higher-purity 21ct (875) and 22ct (916) are used mainly for bridal pieces, the well-known bilezik bangles and the famous Turkish gold coins. Many pieces use a warmer rose or red gold alloy, and the design tradition is distinctive: intricate filigree and Byzantine-influenced patterns you rarely see in Western jewellery.
Should you buy Turkish gold? An honest answer
Customers bring Turkish gold into our Green Street showroom regularly, bought on holiday, received from family, or picked up at a market and ask what it is worth. Here is what I tell them. Turkish gold is real gold; that part is not in question, and the making is often excellent, especially the filigree work. The catch is purity. It ranges from 14ct to 22ct, and unless the piece carries a UK hallmark, you have no independent confirmation of how much gold is actually in it; you are trusting the seller’s stamp. Everything we sell at PureJewels is independently hallmarked by the London Assay Office, so the 916 mark on a 22ct piece is a legal guarantee, not a claim. If you already own Turkish gold and want to know exactly what it is, bring it in, and we will test it for you.
Turkish gold vs UK hallmarked 22ct gold
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Turkish gold |
UK hallmarked 22ct gold. |
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Typical purity |
Varies widely — commonly 14ct (585) and 18ct (750), with 21ct (875) and 22ct (916) used for bridal pieces and coins |
Consistently 22ct — 91.6% pure gold (916) |
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How purity is verified |
Depends on the seller; many pieces carry no independent UK hallmark, so you rely on the seller’s stamp or word. |
Independently tested and stamped by the London Assay Office; the 916 mark is a legal guarantee. |
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Resale in the UK |
Harder to value and resell without a recognised UK hallmark |
Straightforward — recognised purity and listed weight make resale simple |
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Design tradition |
Filigree and Byzantine-influenced patterns; often a warmer rose or red gold alloy |
South Asian bridal and heritage designs in a deep 22ct yellow |
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Where to buy in London |
Specialist Turkish jewellers and markets |
PureJewels, Green Street |
Does PureJewels sell Turkish gold?
No. We specialise in UK hallmarked 22ct gold jewellery in the South Asian tradition, not Turkish gold. If Turkish designs appeal to you for their filigree and detail, you will find similar intricacy across our 22ct gold jewellery collection and gold rings with the added assurance of a London Assay Office hallmark on every piece.
Whatever gold you are buying Turkish, Indian, or anything else the single most useful check is the hallmark. To understand what UK hallmarks look like and where to find them on a piece, see our guide to hallmarking.
By Jayant Raniga, PureJewels Green Street
Jayant Raniga is the third-generation director of PureJewels, the family jewellers on Green Street, London, founded by his grandfather Bhanji Gokaldas in Nairobi in 1950.
