J.Azzopardi Jewellery

J.Azzopardi Jewellery is a small artisan jeweller on St Lucia Street in Valletta, and it is the kind of shop to seek out if you would rather take home something made with care than something mass produced. The shop's tagline invites visitors to call in for their next crafted treasure, and its focus is expertly made filigree.

Filigree is the delicate technique of building patterns from fine twisted wire, long associated with Maltese jewellery. The shop is listed in our directory of jewellery shops in Malta, where you can compare it with the larger Valletta names.

Quality and a personal approach

The business puts quality first and does not treat it as something to compromise on. Whatever kind of jewellery you want, the pieces are designed to be unique, durable and attractive, with filigree as the main area of expertise.

Customers are treated as part of the family, whether it is a first or a tenth order, and the team helps you through the search for the right gemstone or setting. The shop's promise is honesty and respect, and it wants clients to feel the same pride wearing a piece as the makers feel in creating it.

Design, repair and appraisals

Three services are on offer. Jewellery design covers the shop's own pieces, which are shown in the store and, at pop-up events around the world. Jewellery repair and maintenance runs from cleaning and tightening to mending breaks and resizing, which is useful if a ring or bracelet has been damaged on holiday.

Appraisals are described as more than a valuation: the team evaluates both the value of your jewellery and its story. Bring an inherited piece or a find from a market stall and ask what it is, and what its story might be.

Decorative pieces

The products page shows a series of decorative models, among them a vessel, a sailing boat, a vintage mobile, a centrepiece, a jet plane and a train. Each is shown as price on request, so you will need to ask for a figure, and the page also carries product care guidance.

These models make an unusual keepsake of Malta's seafaring character, and a conversation in the shop, or an enquiry through our form beforehand, is the best way to see the detail of the workmanship.

Tips for UK visitors

A little preparation makes a visit more rewarding. Decide whether you want a finished piece, a repair or a valuation, and bring the item with you if it is a repair or an appraisal. If you are interested in filigree, it helps to say what you wear most, such as earrings, a pendant or a bracelet, so that the conversation can start with the right pieces.

Because the decorative models are priced on request, ask for a figure before you travel if you want to plan a budget, and ask about the care of any piece you buy. Since the shop welcomes first-time customers as warmly as returning ones, there is no need to know the vocabulary of jewellery before you walk in.

Finding the shop in Valletta

St Lucia Street is in the heart of the capital, so the shop slots easily into a day on foot. Nearby you will find St John's Co-Cathedral and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, and our Valletta guide sets out a route through the city. For the story behind the streets, read our Knights of Malta guide.

If you are planning a trip, see hotels in Valletta, where to stay in Malta and flights to Malta. Our page on things to do in Malta and the Malta holidays overview cover the rest. When you are ready, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.