Gold Jewelry

[zaby]

Hi

we’ll be in Florence for one day and Rome for two days and we’ll like to buy some gold jewelry - nothing fancy - just plain necklaces and bracelets. Would anyone have any suggestions on stores ???

 

Years - many, many yrs ago bought some in Florence on Ponte Vecchio - but I have heard that now there are no bargains there??? Does anyone know ...

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated -

Thank you

[Keith1010]

Given the exchange rate between the USA dollar and the Euro you really are not going to find bargains. If you are looking for bargains I would purchase it in the USA where you can also wait for sales.

 

If you are looking to purchase an item in Italy for the memory that's a different story.

 

Keith

[cielolama]

I've always enjoyed shopping on the Ponte Vecchio. The gold jewelry was so artistic and beautiful, but those were the days when the dollar was strong and the price of gold was low. Probably no bargains now, but I would still walk the PV and at least look. It's a great stroll.

[texancruzer]

I purchased a wonderful coin pendant on the Ponte Vecchio while on our Brilliance cruise. It is not a real coin but rather a decorative one with olive branch on one side and patron saint of Florence on the other. It is on a really unique bezel that flips and I have received soooo many compliments on it. It is gorgeous.

 

Now - about the bargain part. We did negotiate the price down - quite a bit. This was very late November and at the extreme end of season so I think perhaps we got a good deal - but bargain ??? Hmmm don't know. That is really a subjective thing.

 

But I love it and it will always remind me of my FIRST trip to Florence (which I loved !) BTW: havent gone back yet but I will :D

 

Remember if you buy over a certain amount to file for VAT tax refund !!!!

[Hlitner]

Not only will you not find bargains on gold jewelry, but you will actually pay more in Italy then in the US. This is because Italy has a 20% VAT tax which is added to every item (it is hidden in the price) and can actually be imposed more than once on an item (it is added at every stage of manufacture. Since the price of the raw materials (such as Gold and Paladium) are based on a world-wide market price there is no advantage buying gold in Italy vs the US vs Timbuktu. By the way, even if you are able to work the VAT tax refund scheme to get back some of your money, you do not recover all of the VAT tax. The goods are also made even more expensive by a weak dollar (the dollar has lost more than a third of its value in recent years) which will only continue to slide as long as our government spends money it does not have.

 

Hank

[Azulann]

As others have said, you won't find bargains in Italy. but...Set a amount you will spend on a piece. Then visit shops and especailly Ponte Vecchio and you will find something that speaks to you. Also most Italian jewelry is 18 karat gold. My sister found the perfect charm, a cup inscribed"cafe". in Florence. I found a small beautiful cross in Siena 18k with chain . It cost me about 65E. I love it!!

[texancruzer]

Don't know about hidden costs. But the VAT tax was clearly listed on our receipts.

 

Actually for the piece I purchased above, the jeweler did not include the VAT tax. He did, however, tell us that if we did not apply for the credit that he would have to charge our card later for it.

 

Well, long story short - we did not have the time at the airport to apply for the credit (get the stamp). Sure enough, about 6 weeks later a charge for the VAT showed up on our credit card. We knew it was coming, he told us it would. We arrived 2.5 hrs at the airport, but due to a line out the door to check in we had to RUN to our plane. Lesson learned.

 

I think you have to decide if you want the item as a remembrance and go from there. Not everything is an investment and its value based only on that.