GoldFor jewelry, the ratio is three grams of gold to one gram of copper. For traditional and modern Balinese-style jewelry, shop in the gold center of Bali—the 15 or so gold shops (toko mas) around the busy intersection of Denpasar's Jl. Sulawesi and Jl. Hasannudin. One of the best is Kenanga, Jl. Hasannudin 43 A (tel. 0361-225725). These shops—and others like them in almost any Balinese town—sell mostly traditional earplugs, gold chains, zodiac signs, pendants, and big gold rings which Balinese men like to wear. Here in these Jl. Sulawesi shops you'll at least be given a fair fixed price much faster than you will in way-overpriced Celuk where you have to bargain like mad for a fair price.
tukang mas (goldsmith), capable of good work, is at Zamrud on Jl. Sulawesi, which is opposite the line of gold shops in Denpasar. Singaraja is also a great place to shop for 14-24 carat gold; friendly shops all over town.
Gianyar has a few toko mas.
Silver
Balinese silver is on average 92.5% pure (they mix every 50 grams of silver with two grams of copper). The larger pieces such as flat silver trays, bowls, tableware, and teapots are plated and not pure. The Balinese import most all their silver, almost always hand-construct their jewelry, and rarely use casting techniques.
Balinese silver-filigree necklaces, bracelets, and rings are very light, delicate, and highly decorated. A technique called granulation is employed whereby small pellets of silver are heated until soft enough to adhere to the piece. For the ready-to-wear, cash-and-carry pieces, it is usually cheaper in Yogya and West Sumatra, although Bali's silversmiths tend to be more inventive.
On Bali, the first asking price in a local market or by a peddler is not necessarily lower than that of the exclusive shop. Both start out at equally escalated prices. You should get them to come down at least 40%, and in some cases as much as 60%. They may ask Rp150,000 for four pairs of heavy silver earrings, but in the end you might be able to get them for around Rp100,000. In the workshops east of Celuk, simple silver stud earrings cost as little as Rp2000.
Silver items in the back lanes of Beraton (one km south of Singaraja) are very reasonable. This is the place to have something made—it works out to only about Rp600 per gram. Unknown to many, here you can buy a heavy silver identity bracelet for Rp35,000; in Celuk the same bracelet goes for Rp100,000. Rings cost Rp15,000 with your own stone set in it (in Celuk, the same ring would cost Rp35,000).
