A tradition of trade and industry developed in the town from its very beginnings and Turnov soon began to prosper. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the town’s inhabitants received important legal and economic privileges and this was directly followed by the construction of the town hall building in the town centre. An old trade route passed through Turnov and the town became a significant transport hub, which is still the case today.

The Turnov area has been associated with the production of jewellery and the processing of precious stones since time immemorial. Findings of tools from the prehistoric period bear out stone working. The most significant deposits include the slopes of Kozákov, the highest mountain in the Bohemian Paradise. According to the chronicler Václav Hájek of Libočany, Emperor Charles IV was also aware of the beauty of Kozákov’s stones and he "ordered a search for jaspers under the Giant Mountains for his chapels."

The 18th century is considered to be the golden age of Turnov stone working. During this period, began craftsmen working the renowned Czech garnets. Interest in the field grew in parallel with the increasing interest in jewellery production. As such, a specialist school for metal and stone working, nowadays the Applied Arts Secondary School, was established in 1884.