SILVERSMITHING

SouthEastern Turkey had an ancient relationship with sterling silver and the artisan jewellers and silversmiths who work with it. Most silver jewellery is an alloy of 92.5% silver and other metals, most commonly the other metal is copper. However the Turkish jewelers use an alloy of silver and cadmium Cadmium is a silvery blue metal which is much lighter than  copper and also more resistant to tarnishing. The blue sheen of Turkish cadmium gives the silver jewelry a strikingly modern finish look. Many traditional silversmithing techniques have been redefined in the region such as  niello, filigree, and wickerwork and have become synonymous with their desired workmanship.