Beads of La Jolla

I have been doing most of my shopping at The Black Bead, but I think I’ll be winding my business down there and start spending more of my dollars at this store.
The reason is Susan. I’ve been in twice before and have been charmed every time by her complete lack of fakeness. She is the sweetest coolest Italian hippie from San Fran that we have an honor of having here in San Diego. I get no snobbery or attitude here like I do from some of the shops around town. Susan is always frank, funny, and friendly. But most importantly, she pushed me to do my own knotting. I had asked her how much she charges to do knots and macramé, she told me she charges a lot and she doesn’t even like doing it. She recommended that I learn how to do it myself, and even gave me a lesson on how! I was still afraid for some reason to try, but she kept pushing and insisting, and all of the sudden I felt like I would actually try to do it myself. I went home watched a youtube video and did my first bracelet. It was great.
She also has told me great background info on many of the pieces in her display case, and how some of the pieces they get come in with palpably powerful energy from their previous owners. It is truly a magical store, and Susan is a most wonderful witch! This store inspires. I just wish the music was funkier and not like the music in posh boring boutiques.

These people are great! I’m not into beading, but I bought a chain there and took a couple of very simple bead repairs to them today. The young woman there did repairs for me free in a matter of a few minutes. She was friendly, helpful and we brain stormed on some ideas for future projects. I plan on taking a class later this summer to expand my knowledge on this type of art.
I would highly recommend this store and these young women as instructors and sales people to anyone interested in beading!

Says you are open till 6 and I drove here 20 minutes and you’re closed.): It’s only 4 30. What time do you really normally close?

I was so relieved to find this place! It’s beautiful, well organized, and with a great selection. It’s a little pricey, but pretty comparable to most places around. The people working there have always been really friendly and helpful. They have a solid selection of natural stones (both single and by the strand) — probably the best in town.

I wanted to like this store but the beads they sell are very cheaply made and not sufficient for even the most rudimentary costume jewelry. Mostly cheap plastic and glass made in China. The women who work here are very nice and folksy and they speak with a southern accent. They are country folks but they don’t seem very knowledgable about beads or jewelry.

Very good place to go. Owner has integrity, patience and good will. Beads and supplies are reasonably priced and they have a great selection. Would highly recommend!

Beautiful beads, amazing pendant ready stones, and helpful associates. I read some reviews where visitors felt the sales associates were unfriendly… I don’t agree, I felt they were trying to strike a balance between being attentive without hovering! When I had a question they were available and very helpful, but they let me wander as much as I needed without feeling they were «looking over my shoulder.»
I am giving 3 stars out of 5 because the store is a bit of a treasure hunt… it is not clearly marked and it is difficult to know what is where, and their prices on their nicer items are a bit high.

I don’t like to post poor reviews on here but I have to say this just is not a good store for anyone other than children. If you want to bring your kid in here for a party it seems to be the place to go, but if you are a serious beader, hobbiest or looking for decent prices, and warm helpful staff this ain’t the place. I could go on, but I think the review of Shadow C. said it best.

I love this store. I have been in this store several times and they always remember my name and details about my life and the projects i am working on. The beads are pricey, but the service is what I keep coming back for. I am new to making beads so I took one of their classes which was really helpful. They have also helped me come up with bead ideas for several of my projects and they have turned out wonderful.

Lots to choose from to make your own jewelry and very helpful owner. I’ve been there a few times and always walked out tickled with my creation.

I have been going to Beads for years, I’m not much of a” beader”, but invariably always need that certain piece for an outfit, beautifully displayed ready made pieces,(no two alike in this store) or that special piece for a project i am working on, the girls are always helpful, there have been times the girls are busy with others, but I just shop away and wait my turn, or use the comfortable work space. What a pleasant shop.
It has been interesting to watch the shop thru it’s changes and employees, but I must say the sisters that now own and run it, have added their charm and enthusiasm!

Great helpful and friendly service. They offer a little bit of everything!
They offer bedding & jewelry making classes and I love the creative feel you get the minute you step foot in there.
I gave them 4 starts because in my opinion they are little too pricey for most items and they do not have a diverse option of things, if you are a serious jewelry maker, this is not the place. But, if you want to learn and make unique pieces for you & your friends, this is a magnificent place for it.

The store layout/​ambiance is nice and the girl working at the store was nice. The selection was ok but the beads were OVERPRICED. For example peridot chips which are one of most inexpensive «cuts» were priced at 40cents a piece which I thought was insane given that an entire strand is usually around $ 6 and like this there were many, far too many, items that were overpriced. The selection is fine, I’m mean I’ve seen better, however my main complaint is pricing.

They are super helpful and know their craft. affordable. I had a bracelet that was too small and they helped me pick out additional beads and restring it. super nice.

My new love is beads of La Jolla! I’m not a beader but I live near the store and walk past it often. Angela, the owner, creates beautiful inspirational pieces and showcases them in her window and I can just breeze in and purchase something at a great price already made! I’m gathering the nerve to take one of their jewelry making classes and create something special on my own.
Great store with beautiful beads!

I began designing and selling jewelry for shops and theater in 1978. While I no longer run a shop, I still create work.
A few months ago I had a last-​minute opening night requirement for a live theatrical event in La Jolla. All I needed were twenty barrel-​type clasps to be worn on stage by performers.
When I called this store the young lady I spoke to assured me that they had on stock and in hand what I needed, exactly as I described.
It took me forty minutes to wind my way to their shop from downtown and through traffic. Once there I was told by the same person I spoke to on the phone that, «We don’t have those.»
Now out of time and in shock, I asked what she meant and how she could not have these simple items after saying that she had them. The best I could get was her repeating that she did not have them.
I do not know what kind of person takes the time and effort of someone else for granted to the point of jerking me around the way that she did. But she did just to get me into their store — ostensibly to purchase something else.
Tangential and a petty observation, I have also never spoken to anyone with as much hardware poking through their visible skin as the sales person at Beads of La Jolla. I cannot help but wonder if the mind-​set that thinks that her type of self-​mutilation is somehow «o.k.» would not think twice about inflicting pain, discomfort, or simple inconvenience upon others.
Having worked in NYC, Paris, and Tokyo, I do know that her brand of customer service would not be tolerated in an area with greater competition, no matter how presentable or well-​stocked the shop.
I would never set foot in that establishment again and think a bookstore would do well there.
The good news is that I found an AMAZING wholesale source for materials relatively close by:
located near Montgomery Field — 805 — Aero Drive.

The pros: a great selection of beads and beading supplies in a pleasant, well-​lit shop that offers classes. The cons: just one, but it’s a doozy and good reason not to return-​the older ladies who work there, one in particular, who I believe is the owner. They are incredibly snooty, and their cold shoulder attitude is downright rude. No thanks to this one– I find all I need and more at bead shows, minus the attitude.

I wish there was a ZERO STAR rating because Beads of La Jolla deserves ZERO STARS!!! I’ve lived in Bird Rock for 3 years and somehow never made it to Beads of La Jolla. Today I just realized I should have saved myself the trouble, it wasn’t worth the effort! Today my friend and I (we LOVE beads!) finally decided to visit this store thinking we’d discover a new favorite bead place that we could frequent. Well, we were SHOCKED at the way we were treated ~ the two women running the store NEVER even acknowledged our presence the ENTIRE TIME we were in their store!!! Not even a «Hello», «How are you?» or «May I help you?» The women were snooty and uppity (shades of Julia Roberts during her shopping scene in Pretty Woman) and at one point the younger one with dark hair even TURNED HER BACK COMPLETELY to us and continued chatting to the older blonde one. I had wanted to purchase several items from this store but changed my mind due to the lack of customer service. They would’ve made a nice steady stream of income from us, however, they just LOST OUR BUSINESS FOREVER! I will NEVER, EVER set foot in that awful store again, they treated us like we were INVISIBLE! They ought to take a refresher course in BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 101 if they want to survive and thrive in this economy. Beads of La Jolla staff, if you keep on treating your potential customers like they are INVISIBLE, it will be a surefire way to guarantee that your shop closes its doors permanently! People like you give La Jolla the bad «Snooty and Uppity» reputation! Hmm, maybe I should’ve worn my Manolo Blahnik shoes, Gucci jeans, and Salvatorre Ferragamo bag when I went to your store instead of the casual no brand attire I wore today. How would you have treated us then?

This bead store in Bird Rock is owned by two friendly sisters, and frequented by locals whom they know by name. All the beads are in very small bowls, which creates a lovely effect, but is probably a frustration for the owners and few employees, since they also collect dust (it had to be said). Grab an egg crate by the door to hold your picks, and browse the solid selection of beads of all types. Although I’ve been a bit spoiled by the NYC bead district, where you can find more and cheaper beads and silver, Beads of La Jolla still surprised me with some unusual choices, like vintage German beads and seaglass pieces. The prices on these cool beads may keep me from returning often, but it’s a good place to wander around if you’ve got a project in mind. You won’t find too many tools here, but at least the beads and silver are less expensive than the bead store in Encinitas.

Great place to go to get beads or to get a gift. Their handiwork is extraordinary!