The Merchant Of Sand — Local services in Venice

I love the items they have for sale in this shop, but the staff was so rude I would never want to return! We saw some attractive jewelry in the window when the shop was closed and returned the next day to look around more. When we walked in, I greeted the woman working there (as seems to be custom elsewhere in small Italian shops) and she didn't say anything in return. She was so dismissive of us that we actually left, but I really liked a necklace from the window so I went back anyway. There are signs all around the shop about not touching anything. So I asked if I could look at the necklace I'd seen in the window. The woman acted completely inconvenienced by us even coming in and daring to ask about a piece. I ended up buying the necklace, but while I was checking out the woman was going through all these things and saying "now I have to clean this" and "now I have to clean this" - in English, so obviously for my benefit because I had accidentally touched one of the items (barely brushed it). And these are metal pieces - not exactly like if you touch it you ruin it. (Who would want jewelry you can't ever touch?!). I don't know if she thought we didn't look nice enough (I'll grant, it was a hot day and we were dressed like tourists who had been walking around all day), but everyone who comes in there must be a tourist dressed pretty casually. I read on Fodors that a French woman owns this shop, and the person who was rude to us was a French woman, so it may indeed have been the shop owner. Maybe she knows that it doesn't matter how she treats customers because most are traveling who won't be through there...

We stopped by this shop after wandering by, doing some window shopping through the narrow walkways of Venezia. There were some awesome bracelets in the display.

Of all the shops we entered on our trip to Italy, this boutique made us feel the most welcome. The shop keeper Valentino, a native Venetian, noticed me asking my young be careful with the shop's fragile items and offered him some bubble wrap to play with. He continued to curate a wonderful shopping experience, displaying pride and sharing details in the items they stocked. He even taught us a little bit of the Venetian dialect that our family used for the rest of the trip.

My wife bought a beautiful, hand-crocheted labradorite gold bracelet that is an excellent reminder of our trip to Venezia.

Valentino even saw us hours later in a different part of the city eating cicchetti, stopped, and waved at us through the window! Stop by this boutique; it has great products and...

Tucked away in the heart of Venezia, this jewelry shop is a true hidden gem. From the moment you step inside, you’re welcomed into an atmosphere that feels both elegant and intimate—every detail of the space reflects refined Venetian artistry. What makes this boutique so special is the uniqueness of each piece. Rather than mass-produced designs, the collections here celebrate individuality, blending timeless craftsmanship with modern creativity. You’ll find jewelry that feels like wearable art—delicate yet bold, classic yet unexpected. Living...