Syndicated from The Black Renaissance
The historical Silk Road is famed for the kind of stories both real and inspired it holds. As a significant trade route extending 4000 miles, merchants would transport their wares between different cities in search of riches and fortune abroad. Silk, jewels, textiles, art pieces and spices moved precariously between the cities, with the route extending from China in the east all the way through the Middle East into Western Europe. Istanbul lies on this pivotal route. As a result of its location, the city has benefitted from the many traveling merchants, rising economically, politically and culturally. Although the Silk Road is but a former glory of its day now, Istanbul is now a bustling metropolis. Jewelry in particular was and still is one of the city’s cultural obsessions and specialty. One of Istanbul’s pre-eminent houses is Gilan, a house that specializes in ostentatiously grand, bejewelled pieces. The company’s craftsmen are descendants of those who have worked for the royal courts. I recently had the opportunity to interview Osman Gilan, Vice President of the company and son and nephew of the jewelry house’s founders. Together, we talk about the brand’s humble beginnings as an unassuming wholesale bazaar, their help restoring their nation’s royal treasury chambers, and the unique ancient jewelry-making techniques that they still use today.
YOUR FAMILY’S HISTORY HAS A GREAT LEGACY IN TERMS OF LUXURY AND DESIGN. EVEN BEFORE GILAN WAS FOUNDED, YOUR ANCESTORS WERE IN FACT INVOLVED IN LUXURY AND DESIGN. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT?
At the beginning of the 15th century when Kosovo [a geographical region] came under Ottoman rule, the Ottoman Sultan Murad I asked some prominent families to relocate to Kosovo. This is where the story of our Gilan family starts. Having moved to Kosovo and founded the village of Gilan there, our family members settled into their trades. One young woman, my great great great grandmother, had designed and sewn tailor-made dresses for the Ottoman pashas [a high ranking Turkish officer]. Her legacy is the source behind the Gilan passion for luxury and design.
GILAN CURRENTLY HAS BOUTIQUES IN NEW YORK, PARIS AND TURKEY. BUT THE BRAND REALLY ORIGINATED FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. YOUR FATHER AND UNCLE, THE FOUNDERS, OPENED A 1.5 SQM WHOLESALE JEWELRY STORE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THOSE EARLY DAYS?
After finishing university, both my uncle and my father decided to pursue their passion for design and Istanbul. During this period they read and researched extensively about Istanbul. They opened a tiny shop in Bursa, our hometown, and started to sell the pieces that we had produced in Istanbul. The small shop was by no means a limitation to their big dreams and it was actually the starting point of our success.
SOME OF YOUR COLLECTIONS USE ANCIENT JEWELRY TECHNIQUES DATING BACK TO THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS?
Gilan has a Heritage collection of products handcrafted by only a handful of master craftsmen using an ancient technique first used in the Ottoman court. The combination of rose cut diamonds, set in yellow gold with detailed engraving work on the back has become one of the signature looks of the house. Only very few craftsmen can master this exclusive technique. It’s known as the “Mystery Palace Setting Technique”. A single piece made with this method takes months to complete. But the effort is well worth the results. Pieces from this Heritage Collection reflect the lavishness of the imperial period with a contemporary flair, and are often marked to be auction pieces of the future. This special technique is preserved only by Gilan today.
GILAN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPONSOR THE RESTORATION OF A SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ARTIFACT OF THE NATION: THE FOUR CHAMBERS IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE TREASURY HALL. WHY DID THE COMPANY FEEL IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DO SO?
Gilan was honoured when awarded with this opportunity. This was the best way not only to express Gilan’s respect for the 600 -year tradition of Turkish jewellery-making mastery but also to ensure that this valuable heritage was preserved for future generations. The Chambers of the Topkapi Treasury, the third-largest treasury in the world, were renovated to their former glory with Gilan’s sponsorship.
THE COMPANY HAS HAD CHALLENGES FINDING CRAFTSMEN WHO ARE CAPABLE OF CRAFTING JEWELRY FROM THE OLD TECHNIQUES OF THE PAST. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO GILAN’S MASTER JEWELLERS HAVE TO GO THROUGH?
Gilan maintains the artistic objective of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, which is to elevate the art of jewelry to its apex. He did so in the 15th century by commissioning the project of the Grand Bazaar. He invited top masters from around the world to establish ateliers in the court. With this rich background, at Gilan we work with the finest craftsmen who come from artisan families. The old techniques have been taught by father to son. So it runs in the family and it is a traditional art which is fading out nowadays.
THE COMPANY OBVIOUSLY HAS A VERY RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE IN WHICH TO DRAW ON FOR TRADITIONAL DESIGN INSPIRATION. HOWEVER, WHAT STEPS DO YOU TAKE TO ENSURE YOUR PIECES ARE MODERN AND RELEVANT?
By drawing inspiration from the splendoUr of Istanbul, the queen of all cities, we believe Gilan’s style is a perfect blend of reflecting the cultural heritage of the past and the contemporary designs inspired by Istanbul. This is the meeting point of Eastern and Western influences. The riches of the cultures that passed through this magnificent melting pot of civilizations, Roman to Byzantine and Ottoman have been the fueLling force behind Gilan’s designs.
The stylized flowers, birds and other forms taken from nature add a contemporary and edgy touch to Gilan’s designs. Exotic gems like the Paraiba tourmaline, citrine and especially the black diamonds that adorn the pieces by the most well-known jeweLlers now; were being used by Gilan even in those early days. The combination of black diamonds with colorful stones in Gilan’s designs has created a new trend amongst the luxury buyers that were ready for a departure from the classical approach.
LOOKING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE BRAND?
Our main objectives are to unveil and introduce Gilan to a new clientele: jewelry connoisseurs with high expectations. We want to present to clients a collection that is very different from the international jewelry currently on offer.
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To visit Gilan’s website, please click here.
Image Source: Gilan