Istanbul Jewellery Week Team
Founder
Hello! My name is Arzu and I am the Founder and Project Director of Istanbul Jewellery Week. I’m a creative person with a passion for excellence. It is in my nature to receive inspiration from the things in life that are out of the ordinary. My innovative and technical skills blend together to create beautiful pieces of jewelry and I love to share my creative gift with people all over the world. I would like to tell you how I got started. I was born and raised in Istanbul. The city has an abundance of fascinating architecture with unique designs and colors. Istanbul is full of ancient history and is encompassed in mystery and wonder. It has been an influence on me and the jewelry I have come to create today in New York. I have always been a very technical person and obtained a degree in mechanical design while living in Istanbul. I worked at an engineering company as a mechanical designer which benefited me as I transitioned into my second degree as a jewelry designer. I came to New York City and attended FIT. I then worked for a large jewelry manufacturing company as a design director for 10 years before I decided to start as an independent designer with my own collection.
International event advisor
Aişegül Telli is an Istanbul based jewelry artist graduated from Chemistry in 2009. She found herself seeking for an appropriate language to transform her emotions & impressions into contemporary art. From darkroom to digital underwater photography, fashion styling to watercolor painting, she delivered projects. After taking jewelry classes, she decided these little wearable sculptures were the most satisfying ones that could speak to the viewers and wearers. Every idea then every piece forced her to experience new materials and every material was another language. In 2014, she launched her first collection of pieces called Undersurface inspired by her diving sessions in the Indian Ocean. Her jewelry has been exhibited in countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, Holland, Lithuania, Portugal, Brazil, China, United States, and Turkey; rewarded in Italy and represented in prestigious art fairs such as SOFA Chicago, Art Aspen and Form Miami.
marketing advisor
Not long ago, Cigdem decided to ditch her corporate job as an Art Director in Istanbul/Turkey in order to pursue her passion for jewelry design. Equipped with the creative skills she gained as an art director and a fierce drive to succeed, she moved to the fashion epicenter of the world, New York City. She enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology in order to sharpen her craft; and after receiving her AA, she decided to share her own creative vision with the world. In 2017, she decided to move back to Istanbul where she currently creates her pieces with the most talented craftsmen of Grand Bazaar. Her debut collection HOLLOW incorporates 3D modeling with traditional hands-on methods resulting in innovative and sophisticated jewelry. Her unique casting technique defies typical casting’s limits, in which she’s able to give each piece a lighter feeling and deceptively bolder look.
Digital artist advisor
I was born in 1974 in Istanbul, Turkiye. I used to be a jewellery sketch designer working for a manufacturing company in 1998. I started learning JewelCAD and had 5 years of experience in Jewelcad while working for the company. I studied sculpting at The University of Fine Arts in Istanbul, Turkey. My first job was at a jewelry factory as a sketch artist and goldsmith. Eventually, the factory started to use 3D printers for casting. In turn, we needed a jewelry modeling software to operate these printers. At that time, we had two choices: JewelCAD or Matrix. I was a JewelCAD user, then in 2004, I learned about Matrix 4 and found the interface to be much more useful. I decided to improve my skills with Matrix. Later, with the necessity of organic jewelry designs, I started to combine Matrix with Zbrush. Initially, converting the native file types between the programs was quite difficult. The introduction of the Clayoo plugin solved the problem, so now there’s no need for additional software.I love nature, reptiles, and cats, as well as biking and extreme sports. I`m an educator at the university in Istanbul and work in a jewellery equipment selling company called Piramit. I`m an educator in my company, too, and I do custom work worldwide. I have lots of award-winning designs in some jewellery awards, especially De Beers.
Luxury Sales Trainer & Editor
I started my professional career in sales in 1986, which was the hardest but most enjoyable part of the job. In the jewelry and watch industry, valuable brands such as Gilan, Jaeger Le Coultre, Bulgari (Cancun), Gurhan, Diamond’s International (Cozumel), Zen Diamond. After these experiences, many brands in the luxury consumption sector abroad, jewelry brands, provided sales coaching, brand consultancy, management consultancy, and investment consultancy services. Turkey’s jewelry sector, the first training of jewellery and retail sales, and sales training as educational experts that the luxury sector. I present the sales finenesses of sales details and real sales experiences in my sales training sessions with current examples. Turkey’s jewellery and diamond industry, the “Diamond and Jewelry Sales Techniques,” was the first book in this course in Turkey. Turkey’s jewelery and diamond industry’s first book about sales, which is written by me “Jewelry and Diamond Sales Techniques,” was a first in this area in Turkey. In my second book, “Selling in the Future,”; I wrote about artificial intelligence sales systems. PDR Training and Consulting firm located on-site, TMI on the trainers’ training from Turkey, I have a trainer certificate. I currently provide sales training, sales coaching, management consultancy, and brand consultancy services in Turkey and abroad.
Young Imkusad Chief
Mehmet Resul TOKA was born in Istanbul in 1994. In 2012, he graduated from Kadırga Anatolian Vocational High School Jewellery Technology department as the top student. In 2017, she graduated from Marmara University Jewelry Design and Technologies undergraduate program as an honor student. He completed his master’s degree in Istanbul Commerce University Jewellery Engineering Department in 2020. Mehmet Resul TOKA, who has been a senior manager in many NGOs for many years, is the president of Young İMKUSAD, the youth organization of the Istanbul Jewellery Shop and Sarraflar Association (İMKUSAD).
Art and Jewellery Advisor
Sadâ is a textile and jewelry designer who is proficient at designing products that are environmentally friendly and harmless to the human body and all other living beings. She graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Faculty of Fine Arts – Textile and Fashion Design department. Initially designing clothes for children, Sadâ turned to fabric design later in her career. She has had extensive experience as a surface and fabric designer. Disappointed at the prevalent human rights and environmental abuses associated with the production methods at textile factories, Sadâ left the textile industry. In addition to her conventional college education and training in design and fine arts, she mastered traditional handicraft techniques (filigree, pearl inlay, and copper relief) working with seasoned jewelry artisans for four years in the world-renowned Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. And She exhibited her own collections in many galleries in Turkey and abroad. Sadâ’s technique focuses on primitive traditional crafts. She continuously aspires to bring together pioneering works that merge ancient production methods with art-design-craft concepts. Her craft draws largely from archeology and philosophy against the grandiose aim of transcending knowledge and labor through time and space.
Jewellery Design Lecturer
Elanur GÜNER; she graduated from Mersin University Vocational School – Applied Jewellery Technology Department in 2001, and Mersin University – Jewellery Technology and Design School – Jewellery Department in 2005. After completing her master’s degrees in Istanbul Aydın University – Business Management (Strategic Marketing and Brand Management) in 2011 and Istanbul Commerce University – Jewellery Engineering in 2014, she started her third master’s degree in Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University in the Department of Handicrafts in 2020. Having academic studies in national and international congresses and symposiums, GÜNER produces individual works and designs under the name of Elanora Jewelry. Elanur GÜNER, who actively carries out projects in the private sector and public institutions and is a jury member in many contests in the jewellery industry, also gives an expert opinion as a professional. Since 2006, GÜNER, who started her career as an academician and headed departments at different universities, continues her academic and sectoral studies as head of the Department of Handicrafts at Istanbul Arel University Vocational School, as the head of the program in the Jewellery and Jewelry Design program.
Jewellery Designer & Editor
Burcak Tolan was born in Istanbul, Turkey where east meets west. It is therefore fitting to have her designs eclectically depict history with modernity and blends the traditional with contemporary. Her work and creativity, which is an extension of who she is, exudes abstract individuality and uniqueness yet very commonly perceived. She is influenced greatly by consciousness, nature, healing, and uplifting others. The creativity process is connected to her heart, designing and knotting each precious stone and infusing them with positive intention and renewal. From a young age, Burcak Tolan has been drawn to sparkles, precious stones silver, gold jewelry, and was creating and designing for her family and school friends. All along believing not just in their intrinsic beauty, but in the symbolism and personal meaning behind each piece. Her brand was already conceived and established early then. She received her training from renowned Turkish craftsmen and artisans who will eventually be bringing to life her current creations. All along being driven by the unwavering support of her two sons, the true most precious jewels of her life
Digital Coordinator
Öykü Kaya was born in 1991, in İzmir. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Product Design from Istanbul Technical University in 2015. She worked in jewelry design studio called Lea Gümüş Tasarım in her senior year of university in 2015. Meanwhile, she learned from the master craftsman in Grand Bazaar “the center of jewelry in Istanbul”, traditional jewellery techniques, and how to form metal. In 2016, she started working as a furniture designer in Vivense Company. In 2017, to combine her academic success with her field experience in order to create unique products, she created the brand Kimi Atelier. She gave wax and metal modeling classes within her workshop. In 2018, she moved to Milan and did her Master’s degree in Accessory Desing in POLI.design. After, she worked as a designer in a jewelry company called Philo Milano. Currently, she is continuing her work on her brand Kimi Atelier. Also offering Brand Consultancy and Product design services to companies.
Social Media Coordinator
Born at the beginning of Millenium, raised in İstanbul, after living in London for some
months when she was in middle school, she realized her love for international people
and cultural diversity. She studied in FMV Işık Schools from kindergarten to high
school and then moved to Venice, Italy, to study for her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy International Studies and Economics. She worked in Venice Design Week 2020. She interviews and projects with artisans and designers from all around the World. She also has certification in cultural heritage. She aims to help people share their background, culture, and story with others, meanwhile showing her culture back.
English 
Turkish