I could have absolutely sworn this place was called Antiqua (sounds like a character from Star…read moreWars, doesn't it?), with the emphasis more on the antique-y part of the shop. However, upon a second look, it is actually called Artiqua (sounds like a chilly North Pole shop of some description, doesn't it?), with the emphasis more on the arty side of the shop. I'll let you get your head round all that before I proceed... Thankfully, the latter name seemed more applicable to this rustic boutique. It is overflowing with expensive jewellery (oooh, it was lovely), models of aeroplanes and cars, bronze ornaments made by some German company, those Granny handbags which almost resemble some weird tapestry, and animal ornaments and figurines. I spotted an unusual beanie ornament type thing, with a cat on it (yes, I know, I'm useless at explaining things), which hugely resembled our own wee puss. I had to do a double take. The shop keeper was in deep conversation with an elderly man about some antique he owned, so we didn't get a chance to natter with him. The shop is very well-kept, and laden with great gift ideas for those awkward people in your life. I'm already eyeing up a Concorde model for my dad for Christmas...he'd better not be reading this! Could always buy the cat that strange beanie thing and pretend its a mirror...

From the outside this shop looks like it is going to be filled with expensive little bits and bobs…read moreand guess what? It is! It's a boutique on the High Street in Holywood so you would expect the items to be a little pricey. I was drawn in by the window display which includes... ladies - this is amazing, wait for it....here we go! - replica jewellery that has actually appeared in episodes of Sex In The City! Seriously this shop stocks jewellery by the same designer and if you want it be prepared to pay for it - over £100 for some pieces. I would. This is one of those shops that keeps thinks like tapestry bags with dogs faces on them - I never really know who would buy these, I certainly wouldn't. There are other cool things like funky shopping trolley things that you usually see in tartan and being pulled by an elderly lady - this gives that bag a new twist with a cool look to it. One other thing really took my fancy and that was the jewels for dogs - bling! bling! silver and diamante collars and funky little, expensive looking necklace thingys for your mutt - you gotta love it, I'm definitely getting our Toby something from here for his woof-day.

I think I was only allowed into McNeillys because I was wearing a suit and looked completely non…read morethreatening. It is not that this shop is prejudice it is just that the jewellery in McNeillys is so expensive. This is a traditional Jewellers in every sense of the word, the door has a buzzer and you can do most of your browsing from the street. I would estimate that they have sold thousands of engagement rings over the years. This is the type of shop that an old romantic would go to get his nearest an engagement ring. I am purely basing this on how traditional the shop is, as I suppose it would have a little bit more meaning than getting a ring from a high street jeweller. McNeillys is all in all an excellent jewellers with friendly staff, I would say that the deal in big mainly deal in the big one off purchases but I as yet, fingers crossed one day, have not purchased from McNeillys.

Always makes me a bit nervous when I have to be 'buzzed' into a shop though when I spotted some of…read morethe price tags in here I could see why they were so security conscious. Being in full on 'browsing' mode the very pleasant assistant left us to it and indicted she'd be on hand if we wanted to see anything up close (ie. unlock the huge display cabinets). The shop was well set up, well light and all the jewellery looked pretty impressive in here. The only downside was that some of the prices were obscured so I was never really sure if I was looking at some mere trinket or the crown jewels. I suppose that's my ignorance in the jewellery field coming into play. For anyone serious about top end jewellery I would definitely recommend this shop with its classy stock and approach. They also do valuations and repairs so do consider it especially if you have a broken heirloom languishing in a drawer. Pros: Top quality jewellery. Cons: Definitely at the pricey end of the market.

Jewellery wholesalers - I got my engagement ring for a very competitive price and was served by a…read morelovely lady called Ethna who helped me and really personalised the service - she knew I was bewildered by lots of different styles at the one time and so she only presented a few for me to look at. Previous places we had looked had been pushy and totally over whelmed me with loads of different rings. Ethna was very kind, informative and understanding. Recently we went back to pick a wedding ring and there was a very funny moment when I was down on my hands and knees looking at the bottom shelf. The owner walked past the counter and started apologising. We later found out that he thought from my poise that I was proposing! I got my wedding ring here as well and it was at least £300 pounds cheaper than elsewhere! Highly, highly, highly recommend Ellison Brothers.

A fine selection of diamond jewellery, engagement rings etc all displayed in a very elegant and…read morewell presented showroom. With my better halfs birthday coming up I was shopping for some jewellery, wasn't quite sure exactly what I was after but the staff were very helpful, genuine and not too pushy. Got a great price on a beautiful necklace and have to say after looking at similar in some of the other local jewellers, Ellisons were the most keenly priced. Highly recommended.

Sigh. Can I please move in and live in this shop? It's just a treasure trove of trinkets and…read morebaubles and lovely lovely things. Jewellery, flip flops, underwear and clothes, clothes, clothes, all in beautiful colours and fabrics and made for me. Ok, not all made for me since I haven't won the lottery and this is a high end boutique with prices to match. All of the accesories are spilling out of pretty boxes and trunks and scarves are draped perfectly around mirrors and lovely white armoirs are filled with underwear. I guess you get the picture. So, yeah, the prices. Ouch. But then this places sells Custo and Papillon Bleu (and bizarrely kids Canterberry tracksuits) and even OMG, Meghan Fabulous. The only place in Northern Ireland I have ever seen Meghan Fabulous is Chocolat. If you don't know this label, it's also sold in Harvey Nicks and Harrods, so that's how high end we're talking. Take a rich and patient man to Chocolat with you and you're sorted.

What a pretentious load of over priced drag gear! too harsh? maybe! just my opinion but, seriously,…read morewho buys this stuff? The clothing is all tiny - nothing over a 14 in this place (and even then you would be lucky!) Plus it all seems to be weirdly shaped tie dyed flimsy tops that would be soaked through in seconds in our climate - the outfits look more suited to St Tropez or Marbella than down a side street in Holywood! Now I know Holywood is yuppie but I still can't get my head around who these clothes are aimed at - very thin, rich people who want to dress very young - is that it? The jewellery is nice and displayed really well - in fact the whole shop looks really good but I think it's one of those boutique style places where there is a lot of space and decor but not much to actually buy. Anyway the lady who worked there took one look at my massive 14/16 size body and knew there was nothing for me so she sat quietly at her desk thing until I left. I won't be back and frankly that's no loss to me!

Beautiful hand-made items. Nikki is also willing to help with jewelry repairs! A true gem in St…read moreGeorge's Market!

I was really pleased I took the time to go into this hidden gem of a shop…read more From the outside it just seems like a little jewellery shop selling fiddly pieces but inside is a tardis to home grown arts and crafts. The Empathy Creations themselves are all handmade pieces of jewellery from basic costume jewellery right up to really beautiful pieces suitable for a special occasion. they will also sit with you and plan a set to your own liking if you are looking for something they haven't got already. The back of the shop is like a little art gallery displaying pieces of pottery, clocks and paintings by local artists - a fabulous treat right on my doorstep! I couldn't resist buying my nephew a hand crafted jigsaw puzzle for a very decent price. Call in some day - the man behind the counter who makes the pieces is not pushy but very friendly. You will be pleasantly surprised at the treasures in store.

They have two shops in the city centre. There's one in Ann Street and one in Castle Lane. I've…read morealways used the Castle Lane shop. The great thing about places like this is that they're a local, independent jewellers, which means they're much more realistic about prices and get a lot of trade from word-of-mouth and repeat customers. And because it's a long established family jewellers they very much built a reputation entrenched in older values and ideals - their attitude when they started off (at a time when Belfast was a more cash-strapped place) was obviously that if they provided a personal customer service, gave a good price and a decent discount for, say, wedding rings, then your friends and family would come to see them when they were looking for similar items. It worked, too. There are people who won't go to any other jewellers, at least until they've checked out Joseph Rea first. They have a wide selection of all kinds of jewellery, carry out repairs on watches and jewellery, and also buy scrap gold that's no good to you anymore.

There's just something exquisite that draws you to Joseph Rea's shop window even if you have no…read moreintention of buying anything. Maybe the fact that it's a family run store that has been around Belfast for years, or the 'Established since 18--' sign, but it just exudes quality in a way that chain stores such as Lunn's and H.Samuel's could never emulate. If I'm ever deliberately out looking for an expensive piece of jewellery (rarely, I tell you) then Joseph Rea's is my first stop. You just can't go anywhere else; they're unbeatable.

Sparkles did leave me a tad disappointed, I have to say. Sure, it's filled with sparkly jewellery,…read morecolourful handbags, hair accessories, little gifts and other bits and bobs, but I found it mainly overpriced, and much of the jewellery was quite cheap looking. As my sister and I had a nosey around the store, we were welcomed by the friendly shop assistant, who informed us that there were further items down the back of the shop too. Bearing that in mind, we explored down the back passage, which had mugs, gifts and a few tiaras for sale. With nothing particularly eye-catching, we drifted back down into the main section of the shop, a few rings catching my eye. Apart from the fact they were quite pretty, I also had another purpose in my looking (it's not what you think, believe me!). Twice in the last week, I have managed to lose 2 rings - the first fell out of my pocket, flower on top came off and the ring rolled away, the second I left behind whilst washing my hands. Oopsy daisy. Replacement ring = required. Unfortunately these ones weren't quite my thing, and looked like they were turning a slight shade of otherness under the light, so I thought I'd give it a miss. On that note, we both left the store, and bid the pleasant sales lady farewell. And so my quest for a ring continues...

The name is so called because it sells jewellery, pretty handbags, jewellery boxes, hairbands and…read moreclips and some wedding items too. The owner (I think she was the owner) is a very chatty woman - I got her whole life story and the trials and tribulations of her current diet within about twenty seconds of walking in, but there is no harm in that I suppose. Although I did feel hindered from browsing or doing shopping, as she had me engaged in conversation the entire time I was there. There are a few items in here worth looking at - although a lot of it is very 'samey' - all sparkles and occasion wear type stuff - so if you're looking something 'blingy' for a formal or a wedding it's worth a look. Although I think they could do with bringing their prices down ever so slightly, it's just a wee bit overpriced.

Argento is a great go-to place for presents. It stocks mostly costume jewellery, but good quality…read morecostume jewellery! They've recently moved into bigger premises next door to their old shop and it's much better. The old shop was barely big enough for two people to walk around in, so more space is a good thing! The girls that work in there are also really lovely. Maybe they're just trained really well, but they're always really helpful and very good with clueless boys who just know that a necklace would be right way to go for a present!

One of the better 'reasonably' priced jewellery shops in Belfast. There's a good selection of…read moredifferent styles in here ranging from classy and understated to blingin and crude. The prices obviously vary as well but the emphasis seems to be on affordable quality. The shop now has two different sections...there's a 'clearance shop' in what was the old main store and the new main bit is a sweet looking white shop right beside it. Obviously the smaller shop has all the sale/bargain stuff and the main one now has latest ranges and the better selection. The shop is clean and well laid out and the staff are very pleasant which coupled with the mix of jewellery makes (and takes the stress out of!) shopping here pretty pleasant. Pros: Great staff and big selection. Cons: Not much of a 'blokes shop'.

Several years ago I fell for a beautiful diamond ring displayed in the window of Margaret Forbes…read more Any time I was near the shop I'd check to see if they still had one on display until recently when I was fortunate enough to be able to buy it. When I tried the ring on it was a little loose so I asked if they had a smaller size and was advised that my fingers were probably a little thinner due to the cold weather. The sales person, Patricia suggested I buy the ring and if it was still slipping after a month or so to bring it back to be resized. When I brought the ring back I was told there would be a charge of £90. I had expected it to be done free of charge since they had suggested I wear the ring for a while and in light of the fact the ring cost almost £4,000. They would not renege so I ended up paying to have the ring resized. As a result of the poor customer care and after sales service I will not purchase from this jewellery store again.

Incompetent at best. Have totally devalued my property and take no responsibility. If the owner…read morecannot distinguish between different chain types I wouldn't want to be buying graded gem stones from her. - I asked for a gold chain be be split, explaining that it had originally been a bracelet and necklace which had been joined some years before. I pointed out that the bracelet had only 5 closed links between each longer link whilst the original necklace had 7 (Figaro style), I was quoted £30, I later received a phone call to say that a basic round clasp would be joined to the necklace whilst the original lobster clasp would be attached to the bracelet. I asked if this could be reversed with the original lobster clasp fastening the necklace. This was agreed and I was quoted £60. On receipt of altered goods I noticed that the bracelet was actually part of the original necklace leaving the resultant 18inch necklace with two different types of chain!. I returned to the shop and was told by the owner that although she had known it was originally separate items she hadn't realised that the chains were different, I questioned this as I would have thought her profession as a jeweller would have qualified her to notice this type of thing, apparently not! The outcome is that the shop have refused to put right their error without charging me for additional work. I truly wish I had gone to any other jeweler in the city or better still sent it off to an online jeweler. If high street shops want to survive,they need to give a superior service and this was certainly not the case with Margaret Forbes far from it.