Shopping

CLARA STOnES Handmade unique pieces of jewelry made from carefully chosen Adriatic red corals, pearls, semiprecious and precious stones, which may leave some women breathless. The uniqueness of this store is its presentation department which shows how a coral branch is worked on and the different phases of its lifecycle.QC-2, Nalješkovićeva 3, tel. (+385-20) 32 11 40, www.clarastones.com. Open 09:30 - 13:00; 16:00 - 21:00. AJ CROATA Croatia, home to the cravat, and home too to Croata, a store in which you will find a rich array of ties, scarves, and more, all made from the finest of silks. Croata boasts several entirely unique designs so gifts from here can be that much more special. Croata’s shops in Dubrovnik and Split also contain a Shop Museum, a display intended to showcase local heritage.QD-3, Pred dvorom 2, tel. (+385-20) 64 10 66, www.croata.hr. Open 09:00-21:00; closed Sun. A CvijET by kikE For a beautiful flower arrangement for any occasion, from weddings to holiday celebrations, this chic flower shop will help you show your loved ones you care with a beautiful gift. The tastefully decorated shop has tons of bouquets and holiday decorations to choose from that will suit any taste.QG-2, Miljenka Bratoša 19, tel. (+385-20) 31 10 32, www.cvijetbykike.com. Open 08:00-19:00; Sat 08:00-14:00; closed Sun. A DubROvnik TREASuRES Dubrovnik Treasures offers a large selection of highquality jewellery for a great price. Along with authentic and traditional Croatian jewellery, they also have many pieces made with a unique or modern design. Each piece of jewellery is handmade in Dubrovnik by local designers, using a combination of Adriatic coral, freshwater pearls, as well as semi precious stones with sterling silver or vermeil. Also at Boškovićeva 2 (C-2).QB-2, Celestina Medovića 2, tel. (+385-20) 32 10 98, www.dubrovniktreasures.com. Open 09:00-21:00. A

MuseuM shop

One of the better examples of a museum gift shop in Croatia, this small but well-stocked room at the back of the Rector’s Palace carries a tasteful range of mugs, bags, scarves and jewelry inspired by pictures and objects in the museum’s collection. The postcards have a bit more class than those on offer elsewhere.QD-3, Pred Dvorom 3, tel. (+385-20) 32 10 39, www. dumus.hr/hr/sto-raditi/muzejska-prodavaonica. Open 09:00-18:00; closed Wed. A

kLARiSA GALLERy Hidden on the first floor of the old Dubrovnik house and located in the true Dubrovnik saloča, this charming gallery is filled with paintings by artists from all parts of Croatia, and in particular Dubrovnik. In addition, there are a great number of sculptures and jewelry as made by young Croatian fashion designers.QC-2, Antuninska 1, tel. (+385-) 099 243 59 44. Open 18:00-23:00. A LiFE ACCORDinG TO kAwA Life According to Kawa is the one-stop souvenir shop and design store that everyone in Dubrovnik has been waiting for. Almost all of its stock comes from independent Croatian producers and covers pretty much everything you might want to buy in order to round off your stay – ceramics, jewelry, unique designer clothes, toys, toiletries, olive oils, and speciality condiments from the salt pans of Nin. The emphasis on artisanship and individuality extends to the small but important range of drinks on offer – coffee from independent Zagreb roasters Cogito, and craft beers from Croatia’s best small breweries.QK-3, Hvarska 2, tel. (+385 - ) 099 668 01 45, www.kawa.life/. Open 10:00-21:00.

nAMFLEG wATCHES AnD jEwELRy A boutique specializing in cloisonné pieces made up of delicate silver compartments filled with vividly-coloured enamel which is fired, polished and plated to a vivid lustre. Jewelry is available in a choice of designs and colour schemes, while the watches with enamelled faces are simply stunning.QB-2, Zlatarska 17, Dubrovnik, tel. (+385-) 091 590 26 20, www.namfleg.com. Open 10:00-22:00. AJ škAR winERy This unique wine and souvenir shop is located in an old shipyard in the city’s stunning harbour. The small familyrun business started selling it’s homemade Lekri wines four years ago. The grapes are grown and picked in their vineyards on Pelješac and brought to the winery in Dubrovnik where the superb Plavac mali, a supreme dry red wine and Rukatac, a quality dry white wine are produced. The Krile family also makes liqueurs with a diverse assortment of flavors- careb, cherry, lemon and many more. The souvenirs are all knickknacks made by local Dubrovnik artists. This extraordinary wine tasting experience is not to be missed!QH-2, Lapadska obala 17, tel. (+385-) 098 78 77 05, www.lekri.eu. Open 09:00-13:00, 18:00-23:00.

TAj buTCHERAj MEAT bOuTiquE Dubrovnik’s highly-regarded Bosnian restaurant Taj Mahal has branched out into the butchery business with this boutique food store located a few steps away from Lapad’s main road junction. The accent is on fresh meat (and if you’re planning a cook up a barbecue this is the place to come), although they also sell salami-style sausage for those who want something for picnics or on-the-move snacks. They stock the kind of locally-produced relishes and chill sauces that make ideal souvenirs.QH-2, Dalmatinska 40, tel. (+385-20) 41 61 51. Open 07:00-20:00; closed Sun.

fairYtaLe Of new cOraL

Carla Stones celebrates a decade of coral workshop and store in Dubrovnik. We spoke with the artist himself, Vittorio Ceccarini

1. TELL uS AbOuT yOuRSELF, wHAT yOu DO AnD HOw yOu GOT THERE... I grew up in Milan, Italy surrounded by gemstones, since my mother is also a jewellery designer. I was always creative and fascinated with all the sparkling stones when I would visit my mother’s office. In my 20s I started to make jewellery. During a visit to Torre del Greco I was lucky to be introduced to the fascinating world of precious corals and this gave me an opportunity to learn so much, giving me passion and respect for this beautiful material. Since then I dedicated my life to spread the story of coral to the world.

2. LET’S kiLL THE MyTH THAT CORAL jEwELLERy iS OnLy AFFORDAbLE FOR THE wEALTHy. wHAT kinD OF PERSOn wEARS yOuR jEwELLERy? All kinds of people wear and buy coral. The person that wears coral jewellery is different, curious and wants to stand out. I think people are attracted to the mythological and mysterious story of coral and there is something about coral and its natural red colour that has fascinated human kind since the dawn of time. Coral is one of the oldest materials used in jewellery making. Its colour symbolises Mars, strength and protection against evil. It can be a status symbol too, but I don’t like to look at it that way. For me coral jewellery expresses the beauty and mystery of the underwater world. I enjoy designing jewellery and my team and I put the same amount of passion into every Clara Stones piece, whether a beautiful one-of-a-kind necklace or just a simple coral bracelet.

3. i HEARD THERE iS A STORy bEHinD THE bRAnD nAME? The name is dedicated to a woman who raised me, my grandmother Clara who passed away 2 years before I moved to Croatia, so when I needed to choose the name for my brand Clara was a natural choice. Stones came naturally because it sounded good together, and we use some of the most unusual gemstones in the market together with coral. I wanted my brand to represent pure love. 4. viTTORiO, AS A DESiGnER, wHERE DO yOu DRAw yOuR inSPiRATiOn FROM? I don’t want to sound clichéd and say I am inspired by nature, sea, sunsets, but I draw my inspiration from everywhere, whether it is traveling, a scene in the movie, a comic, a joke I hear, people I see on the street or meet in the store. Dubrovnik and its great history and jewellery tradition are also a never ending source of inspiration. I want my jewellery to reflect a special moment of peace, harmony, happiness.

5. iF i wAnTED TO PuRCHASE A PiECE OF CORAL jEwELLERy in DubROvnik wHAT ARE THE TOP THREE THinGS i HAvE TO kEEP in MinD? Not everything that is red is natural red coral. We are not killing the sea; red coral is protected and extraction is regulated and sustainable. Visit our Clara Stones workshop to find out more about this fascinating material.

6. wHAT iS THE EASiEST wAy (iF THERE iS OnE) TO DiFFEREnTiATE FAkE FROM REAL CORAL? There is a lot of fake red coral and dyed tropical and bamboo coral on the market sold as natural red coral. What we call precious red coral or Adriatic coral comes from the Latin Corallium Rubrum and it is a unique species of coral that grows only in the Mediterranean Sea, including the Adriatic. Red coral has a unique composition that gives it a natural red colour and specific hardness suitable to work with. For a person who has never seen coral it can be difficult to tell the difference between real and fake. After you experience real coral you will see the difference easily.

If you are in doubt ask for a certificate of authenticity with the Latin name of the coral.