An extensive range of gold jewellery turned heads at the 48th Istanbul Jewelry Show (IJS), with majority of exhibitors saying business was steady at the four-day fair.

The show featured a broad array of goods including gold, silver and gem-set jewellery; loose stones and pearls; jewellery mounting; and machinery and equipment.

Exhibitors said majority of buyers they entertained were from Europe, the Middle East, the US and Asia. Non-traditional markets such as Libya, Iran and Iraq are also making a comeback, thanks to slight improvements in the global political and economic situation.

According to the Turkish Jewellery Exporters’ Association (JTR), buying activity was robust, with various B2B meetings being organised throughout the show.

JTR brought buyer delegations from Spain, China, Russia, South America and Middle East.

Gold jewellery was the star of the show, which ran from March 21 to 24 in Istanbul, according to vendors. Buyers mostly asked for 18-karat gold jewellery but Arabian customers were more partial to 21-karat to 22-karat gold items. Customers however were heavily price-conscious, observed Fahri Saygi of wedding ring manufacturer Tarz Alyans.

“Customers are always looking for value for money. Right now, they’re asking for lighter items so we presented a new collection featuring rings that are lighter in weight, which are more affordable,” noted Saygi.

For gold chain producer Mioro, this year’s show was slower compared to the previous edition in terms of customer traffic.

“There were fewer visitors, especially from Arabic countries, perhaps due to fiscal and political issues. But we remain optimistic about business prospects,” Gary Karabulut of Mioro said. “Our strategy is to continue producing new designs and collections and looking for new markets.”

The show welcomed more than 30,000 professional buyers from over 120 countries and regions.

IJS-March had an international exhibitor profile, with China and Italy having had their national pavilions at the show. Companies from Germany, the US, UAE, UK, Morocco, France, India, Hong Kong, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Ukraine and Jordan also participated in the fair.