Palenque

I’m not an expert on jewellery and I won’t pretend it’s really my cup of tea. But I can appreciate a shop like Palenque.
Palenque is the sort of place you might expect on Rose St. It feels independent (even if it isn’t). It’s bit quirky. And it’s a bit expensive.
The coloured glass beads, the cute silver earrings, it all looked very nice. And all the jewellery was all presented in an attractive way. I visited with my female friend who enjoyed looking around very much. The owner was quiet but smiley and let us browse around for quite a while.
I would definitely consider coming back to Palenque for a present. Though it would have to be something special as despite the nice looking items, it remains quite expensive.

I’m not really into this sort of stuff… but if I was, this is the place I would come to!
It has some really beautiful and unique pieces of jewelry and as Marj said, really quite kitschy and retro. It’s refreshing to have a place like this in the centre of town.
The price tag isn’t too bad either! it’s really reasonable for what you’re getting, and everything is so unique.
If you like statement pieces of jewelery and eye-​catching colours, or maybe something to spice up an outfit, this is the place!

I love jewellery and when I’m getting gifts for friends of family I’ll pretty much always get them a nice necklace or some earrings, jewellery is always a winner. Palenque stocks something for everyone and they have a selection of sterling silver, 14 and 18ct gold is on offer too if you’re budget is a little bit bigger.
My friend loves turquoise and after a recent visit in here I found a stunning pair of sterling silver earrings with little turquoise drops for only £12. Her birthday isn’t for another couple of months but as soon as I saw them I thought of her so got them there and then… I just hope she doesn’t read this as it will definitely spoil the surprise!
Most of them pieces come with matching earrings, necklaces and bracelets but that doesn’t mean to say you need to buy them all but it’s good to know if you want to add to your collection over time.

I’m so surprised to learn from Stephanie that this shop is a chain, you would never guess!
It doesn’t have the generic, impersonal feel of chain jewellery stores, so credit to this company for making their brand charming! Palenque’s jewellery is instead unique, quirky and quite kitschy. A lot of the pieces were reasonably priced and made with a variety of materials, including enamel and crystal. Their pearl and shell detailed necklaces were absolutely gorgeous and genuinely different to most high street jewellery trends at the moment. Their bird pendants and nature inspired necklaces were still in fitting with the indie crowd, however.
Bold but still delicate, the colours and designs on Palenque’s jewellery would make perfect gifts. Special but also affordable, I wandered in with the hope of finding a present for a friend’s birthday, but actually just wanted to treat myself! A shop that couldn’t be more perfect for the delightful Rose Street.

If you’re into coloured glass, turquoise, delicate silver shaping, and pearls, then Palenque will suit you very well. I’m definitely not a fan of the crystal and coloured glass beads pendant look, or a fan of coloured glass teamed with any kind of jewellery really, although on the rare occasion I do spot a jewellery scenario where it works, but not often. So really, it’s not Palenque that’s doing anything wrong, it’s just my unexplained dubiousness about coloured glass that’s at fault here.
Palenque do have a great range of coloured stones, pearl and shell, crystal, and enamel and glass items of jewellery. They clearly do what they do well, and being an eternal fan of pearls, I do like Palenque’s pearl wares very much. There seems to be a lot of pretty butterfly metal work on sale here too, in the form of brooches, wall decorations and rings. Everything here is clearly attractive and made to high standards, some of it’s just a bit too girly girly for me is all. I seem to be going through a phase of wanting all my jewellery to look angry and jaggy and edgy, and there’s nothing angry about chilled out looking coloured crystal, which is entirely fair enough.

I was pleased to see Palenque on my shopping trip in Edinburgh, as I thought it was an independent jewellers when I visited the York branch last year. Turns out it is actually a chain, and there are a few in Scotland and England also. Infact, the brand was set up here in Edinburgh by a Scottish couple and took off from there.
I loved the individuality of this jewellers and ended up buying my Mum her birthday present from the store. So when I went to the Edinburgh branch I had another present to buy, and I knew I would pick something up here. It really isn’t the cheapest of places for jewellery, but it isn’t just run of the mill silver or gold. The jewellery in here is made from natural sources; stone, gems, pearl and polished metals.
The shop is located behind Princes Street, so away from the crowds and bustle of that. I love the exterior of the store that makes it really stand out; royal blue paint accented with a silver mirrored sign.
This shop is quite a bit smaller than the other one I had visited but managed to pack quite a lot in. I really liked the round, stone like desk with individual wall cabinets displaying the wares. The assistant let me browse for about ten minutes before offering a hand. She was very nice and not pushy at all, and eventually with her help I decided on a pair of gorgeous dangly white pearl earrings for £17, great value. They looked stunning and I knew my friend would love them.
If you are looking for something a wee bit different, then try Palenque.