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Buying Jewellery from a Foreign Country: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 

Traveling to foreign countries is an exciting experience for anyone, no doubts about it. When it comes to keeping the memories of a wonderful vacation fresh in our minds, we always choose to purchase souvenirs that will take us back to the places that we had visited. Postcards, art objects designed by local artisans or jewellery are some of the most common souvenirs tourists buy at the end of their vacation.

 

 

Purchasing jewellery for yourselves or as presents is something you must do with lots of attention, especially as those are souvenirs that usually don’t come cheap, especially if we are talking about precious metals and stones. Therefore, it is important that you do some checking first, no matter where you are traveling.

 

 

  • Start by asking around at the national tourist office or ask your travel agent just before you leave the country.
  • You can find out useful information on where to shop for jewellery and what places to avoid.

 

Make sure you check the national quality markings for gold/silver, as those differ from country to country. You will find out if there is a minimum standard for gold/silver purity and if the jewellery has hallmarks. Some countries, such as Turkey, are famous for their gold jeweler and handicrafts, and you should definitely ask more information at the agencies mentioned above for finding out the best places for purchasing your jewellery.

 

 

  • In case you don’t do the proper checking, you might shop in the wrong places and get yourself a fake. It is better to avoid that, as you will lose your money and get an object that doesn’t have any value.
  • The advantage of purchasing gold or silver jewellery from the places they are manufactured is that you will get better prices and have access to a wide selection of jewellery and designs.

 

When it comes to purchasing souvenirs from foreign countries that are famous for their jewellery, you will find yourself in front of a large selection of glittering beauties, and we are sure you will be fairly tempted to purchase them all. The wise thing would be to check them properly before paying any cash. Another thing you should ask is if the prices are fixed or if bargaining is the rule.

 

  • In many foreign countries, the finer jewellery stores always have fixed prices, while the smaller shops operate on bargaining as well.
  • In bazaars and markets you can always bargain for your jewellery, but always pay attention to fakes! The sellers from bazaars can’t offer you any guarantee certificate and you might purchase a fake if you don’t know how to make the difference.
  • When trying to bargain for the jewellery, remember that if the item has no price tag, you actually have no idea how high was the selling price. You will have no idea if the price is jacked up or if the seller has different prices for locals and tourists. Your only gauge is to compare the prices to your home shopping and then decide if the jewellery is really a bargain or not.

 

If you have found jewellery shop that sells what you have been looking for, the next step is checking the prices. Now there are some things you should know about the local taxes. In some countries, the price tag includes the local taxes, not like in the U.S., where taxes are added to the price.

 

 

  • Check if the store offers discounts for purchasing in the local currency, you might have a pleasant surprise;
  • Some other countries charge tourists the taxes; therefore make sure you ask before you pay.

 

Another issue to consider is that you should not think that purchasing jewellery from its source is always a great deal. Price can be an attractive element, but workmanship can be as important. For example, if you want ivory jewellery, it is well known that Africa is the place to buy well-made ivory jewellery. Ivory beads are also carved in Germany, with a superior quality, but the advantage of African beads is the low price. Now it all depends on where you’re traveling, right? At www.e1jewellery.com you can purchase the best jewellery without spending a fortune on exotic vacations; moreover it’s much safer!

 

 

It’s always nice to bring jewellery souvenirs after a vacation in a foreign location. Our advice is to be careful; this way you will enjoy wonderful, exotic jewellery for a low price instead of ending up with a fake.

 

 

 

Buying Jewellery from a Foreign Country Articles


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