Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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skylight oversees the whole shop . Open Monday to S aturday 10am to 8pm. Av. Alvear
1780, at Callao. & 11/4812-3400. No metro access.
Jewelry
The city's finest jewelry stores are in Recoleta and inside many fiv e-star hotels. You can
find bargains on gold along Calle Liber tad, near Avenida Corrientes.
Cousiño Jewels Located along the Sheraton hotel's shopping arcade, this Argentine
jeweler features a brilliant collection of art made of the national stone, the rhodochrosite,
or I nca R ose. In the Sherat on Buenos Air es Hot el, Av. San M artín. & 11/4318-9000. M etro:
Retiro.
H.Stern This upscale B razilian je weler, with branches in major cities ar ound the
world, sells an entir e selection of S outh American stones, including emeralds and the
unique imperial topaz. It's the top jeweler in Latin America. Branches in the Marriott Plaza
( & 11/4318-3083 ) and the Sheraton ( & 11/4312-6762 ). No metro access.
Leather
With all that beef in its r estaurants, Argentina could not be anything but one of the
world's best leather centers. I f y ou're looking for high-quality , inter estingly designed
leather goods, especially women's shoes, accessories, and handbags, fe w places beat Bue-
nos Aires's selection. Many leather stores will also custom-make jackets and other items
for interested customers, so do ask if y ou see something y ou like in the wr ong size or
want to combine ideas from pieces. Most can do this in a day or two, but if ou are intent
on bringing something home fr om Argentina, you should start checking out stor es and
prices early on in your trip. Some stores take a week for custom orders, and if something
is complicated to make, it might take ev en longer.
Ashanti Leather Factory This small stor e on Calle F lorida offers a wide selec-
tion of leather goods, from men's and women's jackets to funky and interesting women's
pocketbooks. Their prices on jackets ar e not the best, but women 's accessories ar e very
competitively priced, and you can always bargain. Best of all, their factory is in the base-
ment of the shop, so they can easily custom-make almost anything for you. Ask them for
a tour, through which you can meet the craftspeople Roberto, Victor, and Oscar, who sit
surrounded by sewing machines and colorful bolts of leather. Open daily from 10am to
10pm. Calle Florida 585 (at Lavalle). & 11/4394-1310. Metro: San Martín.
Casa López Widely consider ed among the best marroquinería (leather-goods
shop) in Buenos Aires, Casa López sells an extensive range of Argentine leather products.
There is also a shop in the Patio Bullrich Mall. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 2pm
and Monday to Friday 3 to 7pm. Marcelo T. de Alvear 640, at Maipú (near Plaza San Martín).
& 11/4312-8911. Metro: San Martín.
Chabeli This stor e offers a wide selection of women 's shoes and pocketbooks, and
most things cost no mor e than $100 (£68). They also offer an inter esting selection of
handmade Argentine je welry from crystals and semipr ecious stones. D esigns of leather
accessories and je welry fall into two main categories: nativ e Argentine and v ery pretty
and feminine, with pink and pastel materials. They also hav e another branch in the
Patagonian r esort to wn of B ariloche. O pen Monday thr ough S aturday fr om 10am to
8pm, and Sunday from noon to 7pm. Calle Florida 702. & 11/4328-0805. Metro: San Martín.
El Nochero All the pr oducts sold at E l Nochero are made with first-rate Argentine
leather and manufactured by local workers. Shoes and boots, leather goods and clothes,
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