Tokat Perpereli Küpesi / Tokat Pırpırlı Küpesi

Tokat Perpereli Küpe / Pırpırlı Küpe is a traditional craft product unique to Tokat Province in Türkiye and is protected under geographical indication registration. This piece of jewelry was registered by the Tokat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with its application submitted on 03.03.2021 and officially registered on 27.08.2021 under Law No. 6799 on Industrial Property.

The production of the küpe requires traditional craftsmanship. The manufacturing process consists of the following stages:

1. Material Preparation and Shaping: Gold wire is used in the production of the küpe, with the wire thickness determined between 80 and 100 microns based on the desired weight of the piece. The gold wire is cut into two sections of the required length. Additionally, base plates, shaped into sheets, are passed through specialized stamping molds to form essential components such as perper, heart (thick upper and lower parts), and stone settings. The perper has a hollow center, a serrated outer edge resembling a saw blade, and a curved (cambered) shape. The heart component can be produced using either a raised mold or a flat sheet.
2. Hook and Heart Assembly: Bushings made from wire and rods are added to the heart section and joined using the chemical soldering method. The hook consists of two separate parts formed from wire. First, one part of the hook is shaped starting from the wire that will form the heart setting. Then, the second part of the hook is completed by working on the other wire. At this stage, if the küpe is to be set with stones, the stones are placed into their settings.
3. Assembly and Final Processing: The perper, hook, and heart components are assembled. In models with stones, round-cut stones are integrated into the design of the küpe. All these steps are carried out through a precise, handcrafted process.

The Tokat Perpereli Küpe is recognized as a product unique to Tokat Province through its geographical indication registration. The geographical indication is used on the product’s packaging, label, or headed paper as “Tokat Perpereli Küpe.” If it is not feasible to directly engrave the geographical indication onto the product itself, the mark must appear on the packaging or related documentation.

The Tokat Perpereli Küpe constitutes an important part of the region’s cultural heritage, reflecting the traditional crafts of Tokat. These earrings, produced using traditional methods, demonstrate unique craftsmanship both aesthetically and technically. The geographical indication registration ensures the preservation of this distinctiveness and emphasizes the product’s deep connection to Tokat.