Florence Gold
 

Could anybody please tell me where there are any good shops to buy gold jewelery in Florence? We are leaving the end of March and I'd love to buy a ring or some earrings? Thank you.

I would suggest S. Viaggi & Co on Ponte Vecchio. They are very honest, professional, speak English well and are extremely competent as regards tax free sales. You won't be disappointed. If you like old gold items they have some fabulous chains etc which are hand made rather than the machine twisted modern stuff.

On the Ponte Vecchio they sell mostly industrial type jewelry that I found to be rather pricy. If you have the opportunity I highly suggest you go to a shop called Artemisia about 45 minutes out of the city. Take the freeway to Siena, exit at Monteriggioni, its a beautiful quaint fortified village with about 100 inhabitants, I happened to stumble across a tiny store that design and make the most beautiful rings and earings. I also reccommend the restaurant...

We also purchased at Viaggi and we are very satisfied. First shop on your right coming onto the Ponte Vecchio from the old town. They accepted traveller's cheques.

The Ponte Vecchio is one of the worst places to buy gold in Firenze. This comes from friends who live in the city. A better place in the square in front of Santa Croce. I highly recommend The Gold Corner, as it was referred to me by gold afficiandos. I have bought many things here and they have a wonderful variety of jewelry. They have John G's stamp of approval.

I went to the Gold Corner in Florence and found a simple little 18K gold bracelet. They wanted $150. I found the same one on the Ponte Vecchio for $80. Same bracelet, same 18K gold. So, the moral of this story is you should shop around.

We, too, shopped at Viaggi when in Florence and found their prices the best on the bridge. We found a shop in Naples where the prices were even better, but if you're in Florence and not in Naples that is your best best. Marilyn

Isn't it funny how someone "knocks" the Gold Corner and they don't even give their real email address. Plus, who is this Lori person? Do we know her here at Fodor's?? She is not a regular. John G is for real, girlfriend. Get over it. I'm sure almost all these peeps above are really the owners of gold stores on the Ponte Vecchio. I have no ulterior motive, sweetie.

Oh, yes, I'm sure that the jewelers of the Ponte Vecchio all spend their time monitoring Fodor's waiting for a chance to post.

I am not a gold dealer anywhere but I have shopped in Florence many times and I would not recommend the Gold Corner. It's prices were higher than places I found on the bridge. Also, there is a little gold shop directly across the square from the Gold Corner that had the best prices last summer. I agree - ou have to shop around.

wow amici!<BR><BR>rilassatevi! john g is a regular poster here and i don't know who the others are (o.k. even ian is more or less regular). john g: ignor them. i agree with your friends, as you know i live practicaly in florence and i have to cross ponte vecchio several times a day when working inside florence. ponte vecchio is known to be the most expensive place for gold in florence. that's even normal. they pay an incredible rate to have a shop on this bridge and they are proud to have them since some generations. anyway. if you want to find this "bargains" everyone is talking about, why don't you go to dubai? there you find the real cheap gold stuff. or you walk around inside florence and go far away from ponte vecchio and you might find some cheaper things than there. even less you pay if you go for example to prato or san casciano. <BR><BR>gold is something more expensive than silver and i would suggest you to watch out for something you like and if you think the price is o.k. to buy it. at the very end this item is a remember to your viaggio to florence. and the real real beautiful stuff costs incredible amount and does have names lie "damiani" "pomellato" "cartier" "tiffany" etc. and yes, you can find them as well florence, in via tornabuoni.<BR><BR>tanti saluti e buona fortuna!<BR><BR>christina

Ciao Christina: Fully agree with you. However, even if gold is cheap in Dubai (and other Emirates), the jewelry does not correspond to our taste, generally spoken. It's rather made for the taste of Arab women and does look cheapish when worn by western women.<BR>As for Pomellato, wow, if I were rich, that would be it.<BR>Is Florence prepared for the tourist hords over Easter.<BR>Traffic jams at the Gotthard seem to be pretty looong already. :-)<BR><BR>Have all a very nice Easter!

ciao ursula!!!<BR><BR>sch&ouml;ni oschtere! yes florence is allready flooded by hords of different tourist. among them germans, swiss and netherlands. police is doing some controls in hotels and everywhere where some terrorists cuold be. they are affraid of some attacks towards americans and so they control. that's the first time that police control like this hotels. but that's o.k. even if i think the real terrorist will first not stay in a hotel or if, then for sure with a false passport with some english name. <BR><BR>yes the famous gotthard stau! i don't know why everyone takes the gotthard.... i personally use to travel the st. bernardo tunnel. much safer, no queing and less traffic. <BR><BR>tanti saluti u suech sch&ouml;n dis oschtern&auml;schtli.<BR><BR>christina

Cristina and Christina - are you the same person since Christina uses an Italian email address and Cristina knows a lot about Italy, comes from Tuscany, is Italian and only posts during European hours as does Christina - most curious.<BR><BR>However, returning to gold purchases for modern bracelets and necklaces and chains the price is based on the weight - PERIOD! I will post the going rate tomorrow.

I agree with John G about the Gold Corner. A couple who travels to Italy every year recommended it to us and we found the prices to be excellent. I purchased earrings at a shop on Ponte Vecchio and then purchased even nicer ones at Gold Corner for far less. I also bought a cross and chain for less than $100. I wish I had purchased more!

Cost depends on the weight and the amount of gold 14k, 18k, etc. You may have found bargains but of what? Just check out what you are purchasing without just looking at the price.

I thought all Italian gold had to be AT LEAST 18K? I didn't know there was 14K gold sold there. And I agree with Christina about the high rents on the Ponte Vecchio causing the prices of objects to be inflated. This is what I was told by TWO different people who LIVE IN Firenze. These people are not tourists. I have no ulterior motive to recommend a jewelry store that I have shopped at other than to state that I think I did very well by purchasing gold there. Go buy gold on the Ponte Vecchio if you want, I was only trying to help.

John G., I bought a ring that turned out to be something else besides 24k. Are you serious about Italian gold having to be 18k? I think mine turned out to be gold plated with 14k underneath.

Dear Ian<BR> Cristina and Christina are 2 different gals. Also,I am not Tuscan and I don't live in Italy. Keep on guessing.

ciao ian<BR><BR>no, cristina is not related with me. i am the one living nearby figline valdarno and the one shopping at coop supermarket. remember? <BR><BR>ciao to cristina. i don't want to guess - where are you from?<BR><BR>tanti saluti<BR><BR>christina