Gold in Florence
 

We will be in Florence the end of May and I am wanting to pick up a souvenir gift from my 24 year old daughter. She mentioned she would like a gold necklace. A few people on this sight have said the shops on Ponte Vechio are cheap. Is this true? Should I be looking elsewhere for a gold necklace? Thank you for your help.

The shops on the Ponte Vecchio are by no means cheap. If you are making a substantial purchse, I would investigate other retail sources either in Florence or elsewhere. The worldwide price of gold is set daily; the differential is in the cost of the workmanship.

Hello BobM, according to my friends in Italy the jewelry shops on the Ponte Vecchio is not the best for buying gold jewelry. I have made some purchases at a jewelry store in Florence that was highly recommended but unfortantly I do not remember the name of it.

If you have time I would sugget you check out other stores as ekscrunchy suggest and compare their jewelry and prices to what you see in the stores lined up on the Ponte Vecchio..hopefully you will have enough time to do that.

There are very expensive shops with hand-crafted jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio as well as a few cheap ones with factory-made jewelry.

A guidebook that I trust suggests Ugo Piccini, Via Por S. Maria 9-11. It says prices are fair, service pleasant and that the gold chains, priced by weight, make excellent presents.

Go to Vaggi on the Ponte Vecchio. They are lovely people to deal with and the prices are negotiable and fair.

You must haggle about the price.
It is almost a tradition.
It is a matter of finding something that you really like.
I was in Florence in May, and looking for a specific type of necklace.
(Several lightweight chains intertwined, with little balls or squares).
Not one to be had.
About a week later, walking in Como, I saw the exact chain that I have described.
So, just look in the windows, and don't accept the first price.

Gold prices are very high now and with the lousy exchange rate, you aren't going to find any bargains in Italy.

I've sold jewelry for years and haven't seen any bargains on the Ponte Vecchio.

I agree with the S.Vaggi recommendation. I have purchases several pieces of jewelry from them and found their prices to be very fair. They have 2 shops on the Ponte Vecchio.
http://www.vaggi.it/eng/main.html