prices of leather and jewelry

First, buy from reputable sources (sidewalk street vendors can be shady). Look for the "made in Italy" mark on what you buy. Be especially careful of glass in Venice. The Amalfi Coast has beautiful ceramics and jewelry made from coral and shells. Too bad you're not going in July - Italy goes on sale in July and January (about half price on clothing, accessories, but not jewelry). Prices are not cheap for good quality items - you get what you pay for. In Florence, I paid about 40 euro for a great pair of gloves, and about 120 euro in Cefalu for a silver necklace.

In Sorrento we buy our cameos and gold from Borriello at 54 Corso Italia, opposite the Duomo. Family firm from Torre del Greco which is the centre for cameo manufacture in the area. As in the rest of the world the Chinese have managed to corner the market in copies of almost everything. Be careful of the "Italian Leather" (rather than Made in Italy but see below) description. It is Italian leather but it has been shipped to China and the finished article shipped back. Some of the big brand names also do this but they add finishing touches back in Italy. Look at prices at home before you go, you will sometimes find the same thing cheaper than in Italy.

Beautiful shoes and purses in Rome, with a big difference in prices, I thought most were reasonable for the style. Prices are posted in most windows so you can decide if you want to go in and try something on. Florence was traditionally the place to buy leather goods, but I haven't been there in years. In Venice, a designer scarf store lady told me that almost everything was higher in Venice due to it being brought in from elsewhere ( obviously not the Venetian glass). I was looking for a leather jacket and she told me to look in Florence for the best price, and in Milan for the latest style with a higher price. Enjoy!

I buy leather gloves at Roberta in Florence http://www.robertafirenze.com I think cashmere lined leather gloves are about 30 euro a pair. There are many styles and colours - silk lined, unlined, different lengths etc. The quality is very good - I have not had the gloves wear out or lose colour. Roberta also sells silk scarves, men's ties and gloves and purses and wallets. I find that purses and coats are not as good a buy in Italy as they used to be. Wallets are still well priced and the styles and colours are different.