10 sisters-10 gold bracelets!! Yikes!!!
 

Well, actually sisters-in-law too! But they all want gold bracelets from Tuscany! Now, where do I go for good (make that exceptional!) value and quality..how much should I expect to pay? Will it break the bank?

I presume that you will be looking for something pretty simple (i.e. machine produced as most bracelets are). In such cases all gold is sold by weight (18K in Italy) and you can expect to pay around about Lit. 30,000 per gram for worked gold. Suggest you try S. Vaggi & Figli at the beginning of Ponte Vecchio. They are very honest, speak good English and can do the tax free declarations for you. I suggest you do the declaration which enables you to get the money back at the airport when you leave Italy (a very simple process) rather than have it reimbursed to your credit card.

Wow! Plan to buy your gold at the smallest town you visit in Tuscany. The Ponte Vecchio is famous, but the prices are higher there. You can always ask for their best price especially since you're buying in bulk and they should discount further if you pay cash. I have a favorite but it's in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana--most likely you'll not be going there. Good luck!

There are many nice jewelry stores in Lucca.

Holycow--definitely go to S.Vaggi in FLorence- follow first posts advice--everything is sold by weight there- we purchased things in May and the 18 kt was selling for $14-15 USD per gram- so if bracelet weighs 30 grams,it would cost approx.$420 USD...but go to Roberto at S.Vaggi- he is the owner and has final say on prices and does much better than the girls in there. GO to the main S. Vaggi on corner of Ponte Vecchio on the Duomo side of the bridge. <BR>In fact, there is a website on here for the PonteVecchio which lists all the stores and gives you the exact address for S.Vaggi--the 2nd one of their stores is in the middle of the bridge and they will bring stuff from that store to the corner store. They also have a fax no. to send a fax requesting certain items. You can also special order things from them- they come over to the US every couple of months and will bring it into the US for you-so no customs on special orders.

Gee Andy..thanks for advice but I couldn't afford even $100 a bracelet - x10 gets really costly. I was hoping for around $25 x10 is still $250 for a souvenir! Am I expecting way too much?

Holy cow, indeed! I may get slammed for this, but if all eleven of them have had the temerity to ask you to bring them gold bracelets, and you evidently are not rolling in dough, ask them right back, 'How much would you like to spend on your bracelet so I don't go over your budget?' ie. get them to give you $. Or tell them it'll be their birthday/holiday/whatever else gift for the next year(s). The simplest, machine-made gold bracelet I bought was still about $120. <BR>In answer to your last question, yes, you're hoping for too much (prices that are unrealistic) but then, so are your sisters, in my opinion.

Holy cow, are you kidding? Gold is still a couple of hundred dollars an ounce, no matter where it's sold... I agree with Pam. Send out a group email to the sisters, saying you are planning your trip and read about the great goldsmiths along the Ponte Vecchio in Florence--however, a bracelet can easily run several hundred $$, and is unlikely to be had for less than $100. (They can check out http://www.locabianca.com/merchant.ihtml <BR>, for an idea of what that might look like, which, frankly, is not much). Then, say that you'd love to buy for them, but they'll need to give you the $$ and a general idea of what they'd like. $25 will not buy you even the tiniest little gold earrings, my (obviously male) friend. It sounds like your sisters are either similarly naive, or think you are. If $25--or less--is the amount you're thinking about spending, I'd go for leather or Florentine paper books (see other post on this topic), silk or wool scarves or leather wallets or gloves from the big open air market (Mercato Centrale) or elsewhere (eg the Leather School--for gloves, they can be found in almost any color, but keep in mind that you will need sizes), olive oil or wine (heavy, though), great bath products (try Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella, it's famous--and if any of them read Hannibal--Thomas Harris novel, they'll remember it). Don't offer to bring back ceramics--they are beautiful, but not at all cheap (you might be able to get candlesticks or mugs for about $25, but then again, maybe not), heavy and fragile. Overall, I'd advise against becoming obligated to buy souveniers for large #s of relatives--mom, okay, forget the others. Unless you find something worthwhile and w/in your budget, have some great meals and splurge on something that will remind YOU of your trip, not chintzy souveniers that will go into the back of someone else's closet, never to emerge again.

Just a thought - if you'd like to bring back a small piece of jewelry for each, go to the big market in Florence and find one of the many vendors selling millefiori earrings and pendants. You could pick up either for about $15 ea, and have a pretty little 'gesture' for them to wear at home. Easy to pack, not too extravagant, very 'Italian' in the eyes of Americans (never saw any Italians wearing them, but then I don't wear much 'native American jewelry' either...)

Good suggestion, Laura. Silk scarves are also nice, but you have to be careful. Funny, but the most appreciated gifts we brought back were the cheapest: themed aprons picturing gelato, pastries, cheese, seafood, wines. I thought they were kind of chintzy when we got them (if you get 5 or more you can probably really bargain) for 10,000 lira ea (less than $5US) but my office mates LOVED them.

Why not just buy one nice present and let them draw lots for it?

teatowels at about a buck apiece should be all anybody has the gall to ask for.