NUNU BCN

Barcelona has plenty of expensive jewelry boutiques and tourist shops with simple silver pendants. NUNU BCN sits somewhere else entirely: designer jewelry at genuinely reasonable prices.

The brand's founder, Núria Aragonès, grew up in Barcelona, studied architecture, and spent years working in America, Asia, and Europe. When she came back home, she switched from designing buildings to designing hypoallergenic jewelry of her own creation.

The range covers earrings in every format - including oversized maxis, clicker rings, and ear cuffs that need no piercing - plus necklaces, chains, bracelets, rings, and pendants. Most pieces are made from brass or zamak, a zinc alloy that is light and holds its shape well. Everything is plated with 18-karat gold at five to ten microns thick, and nothing contains nickel or lead.

The Tierra ("Earth") collection is built around natural stones: agates in various shades, pink and green quartz, sodalite, amethyst, emerald, mother-of-pearl, and freshwater pearl. The Tubular collection features pieces made from intricately curved gold-plated tubes, the Jardín collection brings together flowing chains and textured leaves in bold, eye-catching designs, and the Ball collection is built entirely around a skillful play on spheres.

NUNU has two stores in Barcelona - one in the Eixample district, three blocks from the famous Casa Batlló, and another a short walk from Mercat de Galvany, a municipal market built in 1927 and recognized as an architectural landmark. Beyond Barcelona, the brand also has flagship stores in central Madrid and in Valencia, near the Puerta del Mar.

For any traveler who wants to bring home something beautiful and actually wearable, NUNU BCN has a straightforward answer: bold hypoallergenic designer jewelry at genuinely accessible prices.