Gold in Turkey: Karats, Coins and Buying Safely (2026)
Before you buy gold in Turkey, read the stamp (916 is 22 karat, 585 is 14 karat), tell a wide, thin ziynet from a small, thick sikke (the 7.216 g one-lira sikke is the Ata Lira) and ask the buying and the selling price for the same piece. Get the total on an invoice with the shop’s name. Facts checked 5 October 2026; no prices, because gold moves every day.
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Video transcript
Buying gold in Turkey. Read the stamp. Weigh it. Ask both prices. A quarter, the classic wedding gift. Ask for the coin and pin prices separately. What the stamp says. Thousandths of gold, inside the ring or on the clasp. 585 (about 58.3% gold): 14 karat; 750 (75% gold): 18 karat; 875 (87.5% gold): 21 karat. 916 (91.67% gold): 22 karat; 995 · 999 · 999.9 (bars and bank gold): almost pure. Ziynet is wide, sikke is thick. Both 22 karat. The 7.216 g one-lira sikke is the Ata Lira. Weigh it, then ask both prices. Buying and selling, same piece, same day. Get it on paper. Five lines to tick off at the counter. Before you pay: the exact product, its weight and stamp, the buying and selling price, every charge, and the total on an invoice with the shop’s name. Coin tray, bill checker and Turkish phrases in the full guide: turkpidya.com.
