Negotiating the Gold Standard: The Geographical and Political Construction of Gold Fineness in Twentieth-Century Italy

Some tourists pursue bargains, others authenticity. Those who choose Italy as their destination expect to find both as they stroll the streets of Rome, Florence, or Venice. Few resist the temptation to bring home considerable booty, often including gold and silver jewelry. But much of the jewelry tourists buy in the showcase cities of Venice and Florence is actually made in towns where tourists rarely venture: Valenza Po in Piedmont, Vicenza in the Veneto, and Arezzo in Tuscany. The fact that their jewelry is not "authentically" Florentine or Venetian might not disconcert the majority tourists, but the possibility of being cheated on its fineness—that is, the amount of pure gold it contains—certainly would.