the jewelry section is quite a dazzling area. I bought some jewelry there and was pleased with it. I had mine checked when I got home and it passed the test. I would think it is a trustworthy place to buy jewelry.

it is not an "odd place" to buy gems,or silver and gold,since there seem to be a lot of stores there doing so.

http://www.letsgoistanbul.com/covered.htm

the main corridor in the bazaar is where jewelry is sold,just as you come into the bazaar,

One of the main entrances to the Covered Bazaar leads you into the main thoroughfare of gold and jewelry shops that glitter and twinkle out into the corridor

There is an area of specialist gem shops just outside the Grand Bazaar where you could go rather than just wandering aimlessly around the Bazaar. However I would not spend a lot of money on stones unless I know what I was looking at and was enough of an expert to be able to spot quality and know what it was worth. Or I would only buy something that I love, at a price I was happy with no matter what it turned out to be!

You could buy something already set, in one of the jewellery streets in the Bazaar. Most people who have done this have had things valued at home for a lot more than they paid for it. There are some lovely pieces to be found here.

There is also a gem shop in Sultanahmet - but again, I have know idea of the quality.

I love to buy gem stones in Turkey. I do not find it strange at all. Turkey is well known for the jewelry it produces.

I really like alexandrite and amethysts. I purchased a huge African amethyst in 2007. I paid I think $200 or maybe $250. Five weeks later a jeweler in the French Quarter in New Orleans offered me $1800. After he appraised it he wanted to buy it.

We have purchased gem stone already set in rings and pendants as well as loose stones. We have some really lovely Zultanite that makes our local jeweler jealous every time he sees it. We bought those stone loose and had them set back in the US, simply because it was a last minute decision and there was no time to get them set in Turkey. In March my husband replaced a white sapphire in a ring he purchased in Turkey in 1965 with a gorgeous emerald.

Jewelry is one thing we always buy in Istanbul. Almost every important piece of jewelry I own has come from there, and every single piece of it has been valued at least as much as three times what I paid for it.

I have several pieces that I purchased in the 1960's and they are just as beautiful as they were then, but worth much more of course. My husband buys gold rings in Turkey, and has always been delighted with his purchases.

If you want gem stones, Istanbul is the place to go. I have absolutely no hesitation purchasing gem stones in Istanbul.

busyretired,you are so right about jewelry in Turkey,it is beautiful. I asked at my hotel for recommendations of good shops in the bazaar and was given the name of a couple of places. the amethyst I bought is my favorite piece to wear. I also bought Turquoise there last year,in the little shops going down to kucukaya sofya. At first,he didn't have what I wanted,then he asked me what I was looking for.He had a friend in the bazaar pick out a few pieces and I chose what I wanted. I bought two pairs of earrings to match. if the people in the bazaar and stalls were selling things that were not good or fake,they wouldn't be in business very long.

Thank you all. I am actually looking for Zultanite and glad to know they sell them in the Grand Bazarr. What is the price like for that stone? Would the store owner get offered if I bargain for their stones?

You can absolutely bargain for jewelry in the Grand Bazaar. Jewelry is generally sold by the weight of the gold, plus the value of the gem stone.

We usually do not get a huge discount from the initial asking price, but even $50 or $60 helps.

You will find almost every major gem stone in the world in the Grand Bazaar. If you enter the Grand Bazaar from the entrance nearest the tram stop on the street of gold, if you walk about 1/4 of a block down the street there is a shop on the right that has hundreds of gem stones.

When shopping in the Grand Bazarr, does each store accept credit cards or it is expected to pay in cash? how reliable is the use of credit card in bazarrs?

I believe most merchants in the Grand Bazaar will accept credit cards, but you do a much better job negotiating a good price if you offer cash.

I do not think I would worry about using my credit card in the bazaar, but we always use cash to take advantage of cash discounts. We do that with our hotel as well. About the only place we use our credit cards is restaurants, and occasionally at shopping malls, if they do not give cash discounts.

The zultanite has caught my interest. What types of jewelery are available. What is the price range?

I'll need to plan ahead and have enough cash along!

It would be great to see photos.