Jewellers, Jewellery and Precious Stones

How Is It Defined in the Legislation?

Assay office (ayar evi): a natural or legal person authorised by the General Directorate of Mint and Stamp Printing House (Darphane) to analyse precious metals and/or precious stones, to determine their characteristics and fineness, and to issue fineness reports (ayar raporu).

Precious stones are those listed in Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency (32 sayılı Karar): diamond, brilliant (pırlanta), ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, peridot (zebercet) and pearl.

Fineness: the number of parts of pure metal bearing the microstructural characteristics in every thousand parts for gold, and in every hundred parts for silver, platinum and palladium (Communiqué (tebliğ) No. 2023/1 on Precious Metal Standards and Refineries, Article 3(l)).

Basis: Communiqué on Determining the Standards, Selection and Supervision Principles of Assay Offices to Be Authorised in the Analysis of Precious Metals and Precious Stones (Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Official Gazette of 10 March 2022, No. 31774); it is based on Decree No. 32.

The Entry Gate — Assay Office Certificate of Authorisation

To operate as an assay office, an assay office certificate of authorisation (yetki belgesi) must be obtained from the General Directorate.

Rejection: applications of assay offices that do not meet the competence criteria, or whose sample analysis results fall outside the tolerance, are rejected; a new application may not be made until 3 months have passed.

Scope: assay offices may be authorised for gold, silver, platinum-palladium and precious stones, either together or separately.

• The certificate of authorisation is valid for 2 years; at the end of that period it is renewed for 2 years, subject to an application and confirmation that the competence criteria are met
• Those without a certificate of authorisation, or whose certificate has not been renewed or has been revoked, may not operate
• Opening a branch, transferring an assay office and changing its trade name are subject to permission
• Any change of technical staff or premises is notified to the General Directorate within 15 business days

Competence Criteria

Physical competence

• Premises: an enclosed area of at least 50 m² on a single floor, which may be divided into sections
• Sections: laboratory · weighing room separate from the analysis section · liaison office where the entry and exit of goods is tracked electronically · storage section with a fireproof safe
• Security: mandatory elements such as staff, a camera recording system and joint custody
• Calibration: devices meeting Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) standards are calibrated at least once a year, and precision balances at least twice a year, by a body accredited by the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK), and certified

Precious metals laboratory. Standards: gold TS EN ISO 11426 · silver TS ISO 13756 · platinum TS EN ISO 11210 · palladium TS EN ISO 11490. Minimum equipment: fume hood · jeweller's rolling mill · precision balance (minimum 5 digits, 1/100,000) · pillar drill · Baumé hydrometer (acid density meter) · jeweller's tool kit

Precious stones laboratory. Gemmological microscope · desk lighting (6500 K daylight) · precision balance (minimum 3 digits, 1/1000) · triplet loupe corrected for optical aberrations · precision calliper · FT-IR spectrometry (with DRIFT and surface reflectance) · cut assessment device · reference stone sets for colour, fluorescence and clarity · refractometer · density measuring system · dichroscope · polariscope · thermal electronic tester

Staff. It is mandatory to employ one technical manager and one laboratory technician in the precious metals laboratory, at least two experts for analysis in the precious stones laboratory, and, in every assay office, at least one administrative staff member who is a secondary school graduate or higher.

Fineness Report and Analysis

The X-ray spectrometric method under BS EN ISO 3497:2001 may be used only for the analysis of jewellery items produced in limited numbers or made to order.

Content of the fineness report. For precious metals: type and fineness. For precious stones: type of stone, size and sieve range (carat or weight, approximate number), clarity, colour and colour saturation, cut quality, whether natural or synthetic and whether treated, and any notes and comments.

Objection. If a report on the fineness of a sample is objected to, the samples are analysed at another assay office; if the dispute continues, the final analysis or fineness determination is carried out at the Turkish State Mint. The fineness determined by the General Directorate is final and that report cannot be objected to.

Fineness Report Monitoring System. The General Directorate establishes the Precious Metals and Precious Stones Fineness Report Monitoring System; each assay office is given a different code number. Private assay offices record every report they issue in the system and are responsible for those reports; the relevant units can check a report using the code and report number.

Supervision and Sanctions

Supervision. The General Directorate may inspect at any time whether the competence criteria continue to be met; in each calendar year, at least one scheduled and at least one unscheduled inspection is carried out. During inspections, at least one sample analysed or reported in the Turkish State Mint laboratory is tested and compared; the Turkish State Mint's measures and standards prevail.

Tolerance range — in millesimal fineness (milyem); for all samples submitted, the results must fall within these limits:

Sanction — revocation of the certificate of authorisation

• An assay office found not to have fulfilled its obligations is warned and given 30 business days to remedy the deficiency
• The authorisation of an assay office that fails to remedy the deficiency within that period, or that is found within the same renewal period to have failed to comply with the Communiqué's obligations on four separate occasions, is revoked without the need for any further warning
• The certificate of authorisation of assay offices that issue false reports is revoked, and legal proceedings are initiated against those responsible
• Those whose certificate of authorisation has been revoked may not reapply until 3 months have passed

Overlapping risk areas: Law No. 5549 and obligations before the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (Mali Suçları Araştırma Kurulu, MASAK) · Law No. 5607, the Anti-Smuggling Law (Kaçakçılıkla Mücadele Kanunu) · Customs Law (Law No. 4458) · Industrial Property Law (Law No. 6769) (designs and trade marks)

Precious Stone Regime

The scope is limited. Article 2(k) of Decree No. 32 lists eight stones: diamond, brilliant, ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, peridot and pearl. The provision contains no extension such as "and the like"; the list is limited to these eight stones. Aquamarine, tourmaline, amethyst, zultanite or Oltu stone, however valuable, are not precious stones for the purposes of foreign exchange legislation (kambiyo mevzuatı). The purchase and sale of these stones is subject to the general rules of commerce. The definition of "precious articles" in the Decree (Article 2(l)) is likewise tied to this eight-item list.

A difference of measure. The value of a precious metal depends on a single number: its fineness. A stone has no such single measure; weight, colour, clarity and cut are assessed together. This is why disputes over stones are usually about the grading itself.

The path of an imported stone

• The rough or worked stone is brought to the Borsa İstanbul Precious Metals and Precious Stones Markets (Borsa İstanbul Kıymetli Madenler ve Kıymetli Taşlar Piyasası).
• The General Directorate of Mint and Stamp Printing House or an authorised precious stone assay office carries out the expert appraisal.
• The appraisal determines the value of the stone.
• Tax is assessed and collected on that value; the stone is delivered to its owner.

Because the appraisal determines the tax base, an error in the technical determination translates directly into the financial burden.

What is traded on the market? Rough diamonds within the Kimberley Process and polished diamonds are traded. Rough and polished natural stones listed in the Decree, as well as rough and polished synthetic ones, are also on the market. The presence of synthetic stones on the market makes the natural–synthetic distinction an everyday issue. Since 24 June 2026, it has been mandatory to state clearly on labels, certificates, invoices, websites and advertisements that a stone is synthetic (Agenda: Labelling Has Become Mandatory for Synthetic Stones). In practice, this market operates less as a marketplace where buyers and sellers meet and more as an authority for registration, appraisal and taxation.

Statutory basis. Article 1 of Law No. 1567 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency (1567 sayılı Türk Parasının Kıymetini Koruma Hakkında Kanun) was amended by Law No. 7555 (Official Gazette of 24 July 2025). The regulatory authority now expressly covers not only the import and export of precious stones but also their purchase and sale. The eight-item list did not change.

Disputes. For disputes arising from market transactions, a three-member Arbitration Panel is formed for each case (Article 23 of the Principles Regulation (Esaslar Yönetmeliği)). Only those with trading authorisation may use this route, and only for exchange transactions between themselves. The relationship between an importer and a foreign supplier is not an exchange transaction; nor is the relationship between an importer and a jeweller or master craftsman. If arbitration is desired in these relationships, an arbitration clause must be written expressly into the contract.

This section is based on headings 1.1.4, 3.2.5 and 3.3.6 of our founder's book Kıymetli Maden ve Kıymetli Taş Ticaretinden Kaynaklanan Uyuşmazlıkların Tahkim Yoluyla Çözümü [Resolution through Arbitration of Disputes Arising from Trade in Precious Metals and Precious Stones] (M. Abdullah Türkkan, Vedat Kitapçılık, 2026).

Rough Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

Trade in rough diamonds is subject to a permit and certification regime separate from the precious metals regime.

Basis. Decision on the Regulation and Supervision of Foreign Trade in Rough Diamonds (Official Gazette of 31 October 2006, No. 26332); it is based on Law No. 1567 and on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, Türkiye's participation in which was approved by Law No. 5244 of 20 October 2004 and decided by Decree No. 2005/8518 of 21 February 2005. The aim is to establish a control system that prevents trade in conflict diamonds.

Three conditions for import

• A certificate issued by the authority of the exporting country in accordance with the Scheme
• Shipment in special tamper-resistant, sealed packages, and the package not having been opened during shipment
• The information on the certificate being complete and accurate

Rough diamonds are checked by Borsa İstanbul A.Ş. at the customs administration together with their original certificates; where necessary, an appraisal report on carat and value may be requested. Exports are carried out on the basis of a letter of conformity prepared by Borsa İstanbul A.Ş. following the certificate.

Registration. Imported and exported rough diamonds must, as a rule, be registered with Borsa İstanbul A.Ş.; registration is made on the basis of the certificate and the customs declaration, by submitting the declaration within three business days after release for free circulation.

Licensing and records. Rough diamond importers, exporters, polishers and cutters, and courier companies involved in their transport, must be authorised by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. They keep verifiable records and submit them within the periods set by the Ministry. Certificates must be kept for at least five years.

Payments. In the import and export of rough diamonds, payments are made and collected through the banking system within the framework of foreign exchange legislation.

Prohibited acts. The import of rough diamonds from conflict zones, and export to or import from non-participant countries, are prohibited. Legal proceedings are brought against those who act in breach under Law No. 1567 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency.

Transit. The provisions of this Decree do not apply to transit through Türkiye between participant countries; however, the necessary measures are taken to keep packages and certificates intact.

Typical Disputes in the Sector

• Fineness and purity disputes: the difference between two assay office reports; final determination by the Turkish State Mint.
• Allegation of a false report: revocation of the certificate of authorisation; legal proceedings.
• Natural / synthetic stone distinction: failure to show treatment in the report.
• Insurance and custody liability: loss of or damage to items left in custody.
• Kimberley compliance findings: uncertified or non-compliant shipments.
• MASAK breaches: identification, suspicious transaction reporting.

The legal nature of disputes arising from trade in precious stones, and their resolution through arbitration, are addressed in the book Kıymetli Maden ve Kıymetli Taş Ticaretinden Kaynaklanan Uyuşmazlıkların Tahkim Yoluyla Çözümü written by our founder (M. Abdullah Türkkan, Vedat Kitapçılık, 2026).

Which of Our Practice Areas Come into Play

Frequently Asked Questions

Who grants assay office authorisation?

Not the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, but the General Directorate of Mint and Stamp Printing House. It is the authority to which applications, renewals, supervision and revocation relate.

For how many years is an assay office certificate of authorisation valid?

2 years. At the end of that period, it is renewed for 2 years, subject to an application and confirmation that the competence criteria are met.

Can I object to a fineness report?

Yes. The samples are analysed at another assay office; if the dispute continues, the final analysis is carried out at the Turkish State Mint, and the fineness determined there is final.

In which cases is a certificate of authorisation revoked?

The authorisation of an assay office that fails to remedy a deficiency within 30 business days, that fails to comply with its obligations on four separate occasions within the same renewal period, or that issues a false report is revoked; those whose authorisation is revoked may not apply until 3 months have passed.

Which regime governs trade in rough diamonds?

A separate permit regime: the Decision on the Regulation and Supervision of Foreign Trade in Rough Diamonds, Communiqué No. 2006/1 and Circular No. KM-2022/1 are applied together with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Who is the import and export authority for rough diamonds?

Borsa İstanbul A.Ş. It has the authority to examine the certificate, to obtain confirmation from the authority of the participant country and to issue certificates.

Is a separate certificate of authorisation required for trade in rough diamonds?

Yes. Importers, exporters, polishers, cutters and courier companies must be authorised by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

How long must I keep the certificates?

Certificates relating to imports and exports must be kept for at least five years.

As a jeweller, am I an obliged party under MASAK rules?

Yes. Those who buy and sell, and those who act as intermediaries, are listed among designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs; FOBİM).

From what amount must I carry out identification?

When a single transaction, or the total of linked transactions, is TRY 370,000 or more. When establishing a permanent business relationship and in suspicious transaction reporting, the amount is disregarded.

Source: Demirbağ / Türkkan, Kambiyo Mevzuatı Rehberi [Guide to Foreign Exchange Legislation], Vedat Kitapçılık, 2026.