By David Brough
ISTANBUL, Turkey – The Istanbul Jewelry Show saw steady and solid visitor numbers, despite concerns over geopolitics and volatile gold prices.
Event Manager Cem Funda referred to “good steady” numbers of visitors, notably from the core regions of the Middle East, Europe and Africa. He reported strong attendance from the Americas relative to previous editions.
The Istanbul Jewelry Show, organised by Informa Markets and running until October 3, 2026, is a leading export conduit for Turkish-manufactured gold and silver jewellery to regions such as the Middle East.
The U.S.-Iran war has hit retail confidence across the Middle East, against a backdrop of still lofty but highly volatile gold prices.
Trade sources spoke of heightened volatility in gold due to concerns over stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks, and nagging fears over inflation linked to the U.S.-Iran war which could lead to more U.S. interest rate rises, dampening the short-term appeal of non-yielding bullion to investors.
Jewellery Outlook Editor David Brough moderated panel discussions exploring how increased market volatility is affecting the jewellery industry, and looking at ways forward in the marketing of natural diamond jewellery.
