Jason and his argonauts set out in search for the golden fleece which was believed to be in Colchis. Colchis is the area next to the Black Sea in the country Georgia. Modern day gold hunters can visit Tbilisi to search for the perfect golden gift. While in Geprgia in September 2013, I wanted to purchase a St. Nino cross in gold to give to Kathy. We searched the jewelry shops and religious stores at churches to no avail. Finally our driver took us to Tbilisi’s gold market located at Central Station.

St. Nino cross

The market was full of vendors and people shopping for jewelry including gold. There must have been a hundred vendors. If you decide to visit the market and shop, take gels. The vendors did not accept credit cards and wanted only cash. Luckily I had enough gels for my purchase. Each vendor had about three feet of space sandwiched between other vendors. You could slide down a row and look at the wares of many vendors.

It took only seconds to find St. Nino crosses in gold. The challenge became choosing which one. The other challenge was haggling. I did not inherit my mother’s ability to bargain persistently over the cost of an item. Although the vendor did reduce the cost, I’m sure she was pleased with my purchase.

If in Tbilisi early for the International Wine Tourism Conference, steal away for an excursion to the gold market at Central Station.

Cheers,
Terry