Given its lavish history and extravagant displays of wealth and taste, it's no surprise that Venice offers one of the best shopping experiences in Italy. Like any shopping district, the city offers a mixed bag of delights, but there is enough to content even the most assiduous seeker of the elegant and exclusive. Certain goods, such as clothing and leather goods can sometimes be found at better quality or price in Florence or Rome. But if you see anything you like, one primary rule of thumb is to snap it up on the spot, especially if you are a recent visitor to the city. It may be impossible to find particular shops again in the web of alleys that make up La Serenissima. Boutiques and designer couture
Calle Larga XXII Marzo, which winds from Piazza San Marco to the Campo Santo Stefano near the Accademia, is ideal for a higher end of clothing and gift boutiques. Venetian merchants aren't known for bargaining, and in this city which celebrates exquisite craftsmanship, real quality is distinguished by the price tag.
In particular, there are certain crafts that have been produced here for centuries and are next to impossible to find anywhere else in the world, like the glassware from Murano, the delicate lace hand-made by women from Burano at the Scuola dei Merletti, and the cartapesta (papier-mâché) Carnevale masks you'll see artisans paint even as they sell their wares. Lacework and lingerie
The lacework at Jesurum in Cannaregio is particularly recommended, while Frette in San Marco is another established source of silk linens and negligee, which can be ordered to a custom design. Antiques and antiquities
Venice is especially good for antiques, with the thrice-yearly Mercatino dell'Antiquariato drawing aficionados to the charming Campo San Maurizio between Piazza San Marco and Campo Santo Stefano. Dates change yearly for this three-day weekend market, which generally falls during the first weekend of April, in mid-September, and the weekend before Christmas. Venetian glass and crafts
The Murano Art Shop close to the Piazza San Marco is a cultural experience rivalling even a visit to the Doge's Palace. Here is where you will find a timeless collection of whimsical crafts from the city's most creative artisans, from masks and puppets to music boxes and jewelry. It's all expensive, but this rivals a visit to the Doge's Palace. For examples of the famed Venetian glasswork, look no further than Venini on the Piazetta dei Leoni, which is one of the most respected and innovative glassmakers in all of Venice. Their products are more works of art than merely blown glass, so it's no surprise that Versace's own line of glass objets d'art are done by Venini. Their workshop on Murano is at Fondamenta Vetrai 50 -- nowhere else will you find such beautiful or original representations of handblown Murano glassware. Glass beads are called "Venetian pearls", and you'll find an abundance of antique and reproduced baubles at Anticlea, at Castello 4719 on the Campo San Provolo. Another delightful store is Bambole di Trilly along the Fondamenta dell'Osmarin, where you can find exquisitely hand-made dolls with hand-crafted wardrobes of rich Venetian fabrics and painstakingly painted faces – all in all more pieces of art than souvenirs. Vintage and modern jewelry
For modern jewelry, visit Chimento in San Marco, which manufactures gold and silver jewelry and also carries items from top international designers, including Faberge. For vintage jewelry and glassware of the highest quality, try Antichità Zaggia in Dorsoduro. And of course, for uniquely Venetian designs that marry jewelry with local glass-blowing traditions, it is well worth a visit to Esperienze in Cannaregio. Shoes, masks and theatrical pieces
You may be saving your shoe shopping for Florence, and you'd do well to do so. Nevertheless, visit Rolando Segalin in San Marco for fantastical footwear in any shape or colour you can imagine -- these are mostly intended for Carnevale costumes. From shoes to masks; for one-of-a-kind theatrical pieces, visit La Bottega dei Mascareri in San Polo. Il Canovaccio in Castello has produced works used by Hollywood, in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Paper perfection
Venice is also renowned for its hand-crafted paper and stationery, which you can find ample example of in Biblos, with shops in San Marco carrying leather-bound blank books and journals, marbleized paper, enamel pill boxes, watercolor etchings, and fountain pens. The workshop of Ebrû di Federica Novello also in San Marco applies the marbleizing technique to silk ties and scarves as well as paper. | 
