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Rio shopping is most famous for its incomparable beachwear and gemstone jewelry, both of which are exported globally. Brazil is one of the world's largest suppliers of colored gemstones, with deposits of aquamarines, amethysts, diamonds, emeralds, rubellites, topazes, and tourmalines. If you're planning to go to Minas Gerais, do your jewelry shopping there; otherwise stick with shops that have certificates of authenticity and quality. Other good local buys include shoes, Havaianas flip-flops, arts and crafts, coffee, local music, swimwear, and summer clothing in natural fibers. With lots of low-quality merchandise around, the trick to successful shopping in Rio is knowing where to find high-quality items at reasonable prices. It's helpful to note that most independent shops are shut on Sunday, with some even closed on Saturday afternoon.
Ipanema is Rio's most fashionable shopping district. Its many exclusive boutiques are in arcades, with the majority along Rua Visconde de Pirajá. Leblon's shops, scattered among cafés, restaurants, and newspaper kiosks, are found mainly along Rua Ataulfo da Paiva and in the side streets of Rua Dias Ferreira. Copacabana has souvenir shops, bookstores, and branches of some of Rio's better shops along Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana and connecting streets. For cheap fashion finds and Carnival costumes, head to the maze of shopping streets behind the Uruguaiana metro station known as 'Saara.'
Exhibiting Brazilian craftsmanship at its finest, O Sol is a nonprofit, nongovernmental shop promoting and selling the handiwork of artisans from all regions of Brazil. It's one of Rio's best handicraft stores, and well worth a visit.
Head to this Santa Teresa arts and crafts store for colorful ceramics, ornate mirrors, and original works by local artists. For the quality and inventiveness of the objects it sells, La Vereda warrants a lengthy browsing session.
A popular arts and crafts store that carries woodwork pieces, ceramics, weaving, and sculptures created by artists from around Brazil, Pé de Boi specializes in objects from the states of Pernambuco and Minas Gerais.
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