Solstice

I can’t quite decide if I like Solstice or not, but I think that’s because the owner can’t quite decide if it’s a new agey incense and beads emporium or a shop which sells quite blingy jewellery. Admittedly, there is a lot more of the new agey stuff but there is also plenty of more fashionable stuff too.
The more new age stuff includes Fair Trade bags and shawls, Colombian worry dolls (which I LOVE as they share my worries), beads, wall hangings and trinket dishes. Now this kind of thing really isn’t for me, but if you do like to burn incense sticks and hang ethnic things on your walls, you will love Solstice. Much of the stock is Fair Trade and I get the impression that everything is carefully sourced — absolutely no mass produced/​unethically produced tat here so top marks for that.
The costume jewellery is much more my thing. Solstice has really lovely beads and silver jewellery which I often treat myself to as the prices are really affordable. In fact I have seen very similar pieces in other shops for almost twice the price. Best ever buy for me was a glass (I think) ring reduced to £1.99 and which looks like it cost many times that.
In writing this review, the penny has finally dropped, I do like Solstice. Hurrah.

Solstice is a gorgeous little new age type boutique in Holywood, that I happened upon one day while visiting the town, and have since been back a number of times.
When you walk in, you are greeted by a store that is pleasantly packed with all manner of colourful, bright, interesting and shiny objects, and tall glass cabinets full of gorgeous jewellery.
They have a range of silver jewellery incorporating various gemsones, along with a selection of gemstones sold on their own, figurines of angels, cards, scaves, incense and a vast array of books.
Despite the fact that the shop is quite small, I can easily spend a good half hour there as they have so much to see, and thoroughly enjoy browsing through everything they have on offer.
The staff are completely unobtrusive, and leave you to do what you wish, while at the same time being helpfully on hand, to advise you should you have any queries, or need to ask if there is something specific that you are looking for.

Among the best things that you get in Solstice I think are the textiles — especially the hand embroidered bags. You can also find scarves, Indian printed bedspreads, wallhangings and purses — all old school hippyish things that still remain attractive in their own way plus the inevitable incense sticks.
The jewellery is of less interest perhaps as there is a lot of samey silver things and chunky turquoise stones. There is also the New Age crystals and tarot cards paraphernalia.
It’s kind of reassuring that Solstice has remains one of few shops of this type to have supplied much the same things since the sixties so you always know what to expect in here in the quirky, not too expensive gift line.

I’ve categorized this shop as jewelry but really it is much more than that. When you enter you are hit up the face with the smell of incense and the screaming vocals of that Enya lady. Already I wanted out but I was determined to push on in my eternal quest for the perfect bridal jewels.
There are many cabinets dedicated to jewelry but most of it is very chunky with a lot of the same styles just with different coloured stones. Mostly large oval shape stones.
There is a section for those popular healing crystals and an area dedicated to arts and crafts from different countries. There is a particularly lovely collection of arts from the devastated country of Haiti as well as small musical instruments from Africa.
The shop itself has a hippy vibe to it as did the lady who was working there — it’s a nice enough wee shop just not really my cup of tea.

Nice selection of jewellery, some clothing and new agey bric-​à-​brac. Good for presents