It's only fair to share...0100

I love jewelry. Even more, I love to feel like I’m getting a great deal. That is why I’ve enjoyed going to Celuk in the past to shop for handmade, silver jewelry. This town is filled with jewelers and showrooms packed with silver and some gold. It is the activity that I’ve done every time I’ve come to Bali, but this time I decided to read up on the area a bit more rather than rely solely on the driver. But I was pleasantly surprised when our driver took us the exact route I’d read about.

First we went to a small, family owned business off of the main roads. It didn’t have a huge well-lit show room, but it did have a very personable owner who demonstrated and explained his craft. The shop had some beautiful pieces, but the real treasures were sort of hidden three or four rows down. I really had to hunt and scrutinize everything.  I bought three pieces in the end, a bracelet and necklace set, and a set of silver and pearl drop earrings. It wasn’t the best price in the world, but they were solid pieces, decently priced (once I negotiated).

UC Silver Entrance. No cameras were allowed inside.

The next place we went to was UC Silver. I hadn’t been there before but wanted to go thanks to the reviews. UC Silver is on the main road that leads to and from Ubub, just outside of Celuk. It’s a wonder I didn’t notice it before since the building itself is SO gaudy. They had a very large workroom and allowed us to walk through and take pictures of everything. But once through the front door of the actual store cameras had to be put away.  At first glance I was immediately impressed. The show room was bright, well arranged and the quality was definitely better than some of the other places I had seen in Celuk. We weren’t allowed to negotiate and the prices were more, but everything was so striking. On the first floor they had silver and a small section of plated costume jewelry. On the second floor were diamonds and gold. It really was something to see and I was slightly bummed that I couldn’t photograph it.  I ended up buying earrings and two rings. My cousin and aunt also bought the same ring (a huge silver piece with the god Ganesha) and their rings were sized free of charge as well as delivered to the villa once completed.

If I had to choose between the two options again, I would easily select UC Silver. They stand by their pieces and guarantee the work for a full year. I felt that these were more so pieces that could be passed down and would stand the test of time and I’m glad that I splurged a bit.

UC Silver Workshop

My aunt listening to a small shop owner explain the process.

My purchases.