The most common things to bring home from Georgia are wine, chacha, churchkhela and spices. But the country also offers many beautiful handmade items that will last for years and remind you of your trip. Here are the most interesting souvenirs (not food or wine — we cover those separately), where to find them and how to avoid fakes.

Minankari — Georgian cloisonné enamel

Minankari is an ancient Georgian art of cloisonné enamel known since the Middle Ages. Fine gold or silver partitions are filled with coloured enamel and fired, creating vivid miniatures with ornaments, iconography, pomegranates, vines and birds.

What to buy:

  • earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets;
  • brooches and cufflinks;
  • miniature icons.

Price: depends on size, metal and maker — from modest sums for simple pendants to significant amounts for gold jewellery.

Spotting handmade work: real enamel is slightly uneven with lively colour play, and the thin partitions are visible under a magnifier. Cheap copies are often paint or plastic. Buy from specialist galleries and workshops, and ask for a certificate.

Felt (teka)

Felt-making is a traditional craft of the mountain regions, especially Tusheti. Today artisans make:

  • hats and scarves;
  • slippers and bags;
  • toys, brooches and jewellery;
  • rugs and wall hangings.

Felt is warm, light and eco-friendly, and good Tushetian wool makes a great gift.

Carpets and kilims

Georgian carpets (especially from Kakheti and the south) and woven kilims (pardagi) are worthy but expensive souvenirs. At the Dry Bridge in Tbilisi you'll find vintage rugs, though some may come from neighbouring countries.

Important: exporting antique items of cultural value (antiques, old carpets, icons) may require a permit. Ask the seller and keep receipts.

Svan hat and chokha

  • Svan hat (svanuri kudi) — a round felt hat from Svaneti, a symbol of the highlanders. Light, warm and recognisable.
  • Chokha — the traditional men's coat with cartridge pockets. A real chokha is made to measure and expensive, but workshops also offer modern takes — waistcoats, coats and children's versions.
  • Women's national dress — for collectors and festive occasions.

Ceramics

Georgian ceramics range from traditional wine jugs (doki, koka) to contemporary studio pottery. In Tbilisi workshops you'll find:

  • wine jugs and drinking bowls;
  • ornamented plates;
  • mini-qvevri — a symbol of Georgian winemaking.

Mini-qvevri are a popular gift for wine lovers.

The wine horn — kantsi

A kantsi is the horn used to drink wine at feasts, traditionally made from goat or tur horn and decorated with silver. You'll find horns of all sizes, from souvenir to large ceremonial ones.

Note: bringing horn and bone items into your home country may be regulated. Check customs rules in advance.

Silver and jewellery

Georgian silver with filigree, garnets and traditional ornaments is a long tradition. Look for:

  • jewellery featuring Saint Nino's cross;
  • pendants with Georgian letters (for example your name in Georgian);
  • silver glass holders and goblets.

Saint Nino's cross and icons

Saint Nino's cross, with its drooping arms, is one of Georgia's main symbols. Church shops at monasteries sell small crosses made of vine, wood or metal, as well as icons.

Contemporary icons can be bought in church shops; antique icons cannot be exported without permission.

Books and prints

  • "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" by Shota Rustaveli, ideally an illustrated or gift edition;
  • books on Georgian architecture, nature and cuisine;
  • children's alphabet books;
  • postcards and posters by local artists.

Paintings and art

At the Dry Bridge local artists sell paintings: views of old Tbilisi, still lifes with wine and pomegranates and works in the style of Niko Pirosmani. Galleries in Sololaki and Vake are worth a look for contemporary art.

Cosmetics and soap

  • Handmade soap with herbs and wine.
  • Grape-seed cosmetics.
  • Mineral salts and spa products.

Where to shop in Tbilisi

  • Dry Bridge — a flea market and street gallery: antiques, Soviet items, paintings and jewellery. Haggle.
  • Old town — Leselidze, Shardeni and Erekle II streets: souvenir shops and workshops.
  • Workshops and galleries in Sololaki and Vake.
  • Church shops at churches and monasteries — crosses, icons and candles.
  • The market near Didube metro — inexpensive textiles.

In the regions

  • Svaneti — hats, felt, woodwork and jewellery.
  • Tusheti — felt and woollen goods.
  • Kakheti — ceramics, kantsi and wine accessories.
  • Adjara — woodwork and textiles.

Haggling

At the Dry Bridge and markets bargaining is normal — you can often get 10–20% off. In galleries and fixed-price shops, it isn't customary.

In short

The best non-edible souvenirs from Georgia are minankari jewellery, Tushetian felt, the Svan hat, ceramics and mini-qvevri, the wine horn, silver with Saint Nino's cross, paintings from the Dry Bridge and an illustrated "Knight in the Panther's Skin". Buy from artisans and galleries, haggle at markets and remember the rules on exporting antiques — then your souvenir will be both beautiful and legal.