Gem & Bead Gallery

Really fun stuff.
Horrific customer service.
None in fact.
Total disappointment.
I will spend my $$$ elsewhere.

I don’t know how it all began, but this year, I slowly started a collection of semi-​precious gemstone bracelets. I wear them in stacks, and I look for all kinds of different colors and textures. I have even done some research into the «healing properties» of gemstones so that I can make chakra bracelets. What can I say – I’m a yogini!
After coming home from a trip to New York with an assortment of stones and wanting more in similar quality and style, I scoured Houston for similar shops selling stones but found little variety – until I stumbled upon Gem & Bead Gallery in West U.
I was delighted to find unique handmade jewelry, beautiful agate slices, and stunning amethyst geodes. More importantly, I found rows of colorful gemstone beads that would surely compliment my growing collection. Here, I found (fire) agate, malachite, phoenix stone beads, and dyed jade – and at pretty reasonable prices.
The staff was knowledgable and friendly. They answered all my questions, allowed me to browse at my leisure, and even provided some tips on how to perfect my bracelets. I now have stones from around the world, but Gem & Bead Gallery is my go-​to place in Houston. I highly recommend this place!

Found my experience to be definitely imperfect. Quality of service was poor, quality of product is substandard based on where I usually source my materials from. First impressions are everything and this gave me one that I will not wish to experience ever again. I will continue to do business elsewhere and encourage my social circle to do the same. Another one bites the dust: (

One time I tried to buy a jewelry product from them, but they don’t carry it. The owner referred me to another store, and sent me there with detail information. Very patient and helpful!
The store has nice Gems, Pearls, various jewelry supplies, and classes. You get to make your own jewelry, and save tons of $$ from Retail Markup.

Gem and Bead is great if you make your own jewelry. They have top quality beads and gems and everything else you would need for a great price. When I say great price I don’t mean cheap… I mean fair. Some places way overcharge on their bead and gem inventory, but not here… their prices are fair for what your getting. They have a great selection of all types of beads, chains etc. They know how to repair your broken jewelry as well. They also have some already made pieces of jewelry but I don’t care for them much because either I already know how to make it or its not my style. Definitely a place to check out though if you are a jewelry maker.

‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ was the topic of a recent talk thread. The same applies to the Gem & Bead Gallery. If you’re just window shopping, you are going to miss something… a whole bunch of somethings.
From the exterior, the storefront, this place looks like it’s stuck in the the late 70s. New Age. Geodes and faux aluminum/​glass shelving. Mood machines that play sounds such as «waterfall» or «wandering brook.» Right. You get the idea.
Quickly pass the New Age, and wander about the store. A majority of the jewelry is gemstone-​based. Chunky, well-​set necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Not my style, but pretty still. They apparently are wholesalers who also sell their jewelry to Neiman’s and such. From what I’ve been told and have read, they make their own jewelry. Beautiful and guaranteed to grab everyones attention, but just a little too pricey to be a «don’t wear that often» type of piece.
If you want to make your own high-​end jewelry, they have everything you could need: beads, clasps, tools, and even private classes. This is great if there’s something you want made a certain way, or just for bragging rights. If you want to save yourself much time and general anxiety and frustration (how much is your peace of mind worth?), they also custom-​make jewelry.
Beyond all of this really well-​made custom jewelry (that would normally hang like dead weight around my neck), I found the perfect pair of earrings. Granted they are white seed beaded chandelier earrings, and are hard to find outfits to match them, but they are really a great shape, and perfect when I do find the right shade of white top.
So why such a high rating if I can’t really wear the jewelry? It is really well-​made and some Texas ladies out there would really L-​O-​V-​E it.