Kazaziye Jewelry Made by Knitting Seamless Wires
Chapter from the book:
Hatipoğlu,
M.
(ed.)
2025.
Gemology and Jewelry.
Synopsis
Trabzon and its surrounding provinces (Eastern Black Sea region) possess a long-standing tradition of craftsmanship in jewelry making. Among these is kazaziye, a craft where wires of precious metals (gold and silver) are woven together in a wicker-like pattern without welding, creating jewelry objects. This type of jewelry work can be done in workshops or at home by both men and women, and the production process does not produce harmful waste materials. Kazaziye jewelries, despite not being produced using flame and/or laser welding, are both durable and aestheticsally pleasing. Carefully preserved pieces can remain as good as new for many years. Kazaziye masters pass on their wire weaving and welding-free joining techniques through apprenticeship, but knowledge is also imparted formally in the Gemolgy and Jewelry Schools and the Public Education Centers, thus training new generations of kazaziye craftsmen. This study emphasizes that learning kazaziye is not difficult, but requires patience and attention. It attempts to explain and teach the most general techniques and application methods using visual examples.
