Baubles & Beads

I came here a lot as a kid, having attended the elementary school around the corner, and have visited a few times as an adult.
Good news: This place has an incredible selection of lovely materials and it’s in a great location (Gourmet Ghetto).
Bad news: Now that I have to pay for myself (many thanks to my mom for supporting my childhood endeavors), I’ve noticed it is quite expensive. Yes, true, it’s a local business, and I want to support that, but I just can’t fit this place into my budget. I’ve also had some snooty employee experiences – mostly when I was a kid so I can’t speak to the quality of floor staff currently. But I’ve noticed the owner responding to negative reviews here on Unilocal quite nastily and unprofessionally, which doesn’t tell me anything good.
Overall: As others have said, this place is great if you have plenty of money.

Super friendly and helpful staff! I had some jewelry purchased oversees that had really poor quality nylon string threatening to fall apart. The staff came up with an ingenious solution to fix one of my necklaces for $.45. Then I used their materials (including some purchased sterling silver beads to jazz up the design) and advice and borrowed their tools to restring my other necklace and bracelet set. Walked out feeling delighted. Such a positive experience!

This is an amazing bead store. Really big with a great selection with a lot on sale. Manager was nice and Kaitie W. Helped my 7 year old walk around the store to collect beads to make her first necklace. It came out great! I will definitely go back and check out the classes they offer.

I had found some really awesome beads at the Bone Shop in Berkeley and I was looking to make them into earrings. Tate was suuuuper helpful and taught my partner and I how to make pretty loops with the tools they loaned us for jewelry making. I love my new earrings and had a really awesome experience. Thanks, Tate!

Had to make a last minute gift a couple of days ago for my friend’s birthday! Came to this store having never made jewelry before. The service was amazing! They helped me find the write beads, tools, and techniques to make exactly the necklace I wanted right there in the store! An amazing variety of beads, decent prices, and amazing, amazing service :) Such a great experience and now I have a beautiful necklace to give to my friend!

Last minute project I needed help on and Denise rocked it out in only 10 minutes. What a gift this place is… so kind and friendly and knowledgable. Love this place.

This place has great choices for beads, pendants, and really all kinds of stones and pearls, but the reason I’m giving it five stars is the staff. As someone who had never made a bracelet or necklace, Tate walked me through the process (literally every single step) and even helped me when I got stuck. One of the most helpful store employees I’ve ever come across.

I’ve come here periodically over the years for supplies and assistance with jewelry– making and repairing, but I’m finally writing a review because I came in yesterday and was assisted by TATE, who was extremely generous with their time! Tate was very patient with an annoyingly small chain that needed a new/​sturdier jump ring connected to it. I left with a fixed bracelet and some tips for what to do if the bracelet breaks again! Thank you, Tate!

I was looking a acrylic evil eye and they dont have it. And looks like they have no idea what it is. She was a bit mean and repeating «I dont have it, I font have something like that» with a nervous voice :(okay okay I got it but could you help where I could find or you could order for me !!! No not good

I recently stopped by only a half hour before closing not exactly sure what I needed. Heather was AMAZING! so helpful and kind. She went out of her way to help me and get me started on my project. She even demonstrated some technique that was extremely helpful. Completely worth going out of my way to come here… truly great service!

I came here to fix a shell floral necklace on a silk cord that broke. Having no idea what to do and how to achieve that, the staff was all so great-​helpful and warm with their tips and tools. When I returned the next day, after failing to accomplish what was taught to me by the staff there, Heather just took the necklace and showed me to completion how to fix this particular piece of jewelry. She went above and beyond. And it was a delight to watch the skill and speed with which she operated. This store exceeded my expectations in more ways than one! Thank you for your sisterly treatment. I so appreciate it.

Just came in here with my husband to make a necklace. The beads are lovely, but this review is mostly for the amazing staff– especially the woman who helped us for a good twenty minutes and ensured the piece turned out beautifully. Thank you! Very grateful.

This is a great bead shop. Super organized and they have a beautiful selection. Somethings can be a little pricey however.

As a jewelry-​making fanatic, I have been to a number of bead stores. This one was… meh.
The good — the store is clean and organized. There seems to be a large number of (albeit mostly bored) clerks who seem to know their stuff. The prices are almost always marked. Good selection of seed beads, threads, chains, semi-​precious stones.
The bad — OVERPRICED. Go on ebay or etsy to find identical items for 50% less. One tiny (about 2 mm) garnet — $ 1.50? Seriously? My advice for novice jewelry makers — go there without a wallet to avoid the temptation, take notes of what you like, come home and buy it online.
I was also appalled by the prices of repairs. A woman next to me was picking up her necklace that had to be re-​strung. The clerk said the customer owed them an additional twenty-​something dollars. I took a quick look at the necklace and realized that I could make an identical copy of it for less than $ 20.
Overall, its a nice place if you have an endless budget.

Love this bead and jewelry shop! They have a nice selection and very nice tools for jewelry making! One star off because not all of the staff was super nice and helpful, although some were!
Loved that they had a loom and a huge selection of seed beads!

The best place, in person AND online to find nice silver charms. I always find the staff to be helpful

I have no idea why I have not written a REVIEW for this awesome place. When I need to relax and get in my creative mode this is the place for me! I stumbled upon this place about 2 years ago and I have been here 3 times and every time I end up designing a bracelet! To people who love jewelry, I highly recommend going to this place with your girlfriends or by yourself! They have a wide selection of beads to choose from, and the staff helps you out with your craft projects! I can spend hours in this place, haha.

Still love this place. The have tons of chains sold by the foot and bunches of free patterns for the taking.
Over the years the staff has changed but they still retain some «old school» beaders who can definitely hook you up with knowledgable advice. Plus the owners both work there.

I found everything here EXCEPT nice center pieces. This place has almost every type of bead and clasp and color. In wood, glass and metal you will find anything you want to complement your necks he or bracelet.
But the center pieces are MIssing from the inventory.

Beads and Baubles had a great selection of surprises including beads, baubles, eclectic customers, great location, and wide variety.
The MosT significant surprise is Heather– a wonderful and delightful craft-​woman filled with KnowLedge, finesse, sophistication, and a delicate touch!
Today she breathed LIFE back into a ‘vintage’ pearl necklace. Her patience, care, and know-​how has encouraged me to re-​consider other discarded pieces and RECONSIDER hope!
Thank you Heather!!!

One of the best things about a college town is the likelihood that there’ll be at least one bead store. Baubles & Beads fits the bill really nicely.
On my first visit, the first thing that caught my eye was that the shop was well-​organized. It was simple for me to find the supplies I needed, all by myself, and I appreciated that there seemed to be several different choices for a variety of things (for instance, I didn’t have to settle for the one lonely bead mat in the store, because there were at least twenty options and two styles).
The next thing I noticed was the very respectable age range of the materials they carry. They have everything from vintage glass, to stone, to 3D-​printed beads. I fell in love with their artisan section, because they carry a lot of indie artists, themselves, and good ones. I almost left with two hot pink contemporary 3D-​printed Sutro Tower beads (fresh from a local neighborhood artisan!), but then I ended up discovering an amazing twist: they carry finished jewelry, too.
Not just new assemblages. No, no. Just wait. Baubles & Beads has a case full of vintage jewelry. I guess that’s the «baubles» part of their name, eh?
I don’t know if this is an always-​thing, or a sometimes-​thing, but right now, Fall of 2013, there is a glass floor case full of vintage plastics. I bought a string of beads that completed a bracelet I’ve been working on, and a necklace that made me weep from its sheer loveliness (which I augmented at home with other vintage beads, using my new bead mat, and a ton of red silk thread hand-​knotted in between each). I don’t know if you can imagine how excited I was when the clerk suggested I look inside; this unexpected surprise totally made my day.
The thing about beads is their versatility, their story. Every little bead came from somewhere, was made by someone, and then you combine it with a bunch of different other beads in a special way, and yes, I may be revealing myself to be a giant nerd right now, but this place honors the craft of beading, and I appreciate that so much.
This is an independent business in a high-​rent district of an expensive college neighborhood, so I understand that the prices reflect this reality. But honestly, I’ve been going to indie bead stores for decades, and to me, there is nothing sticker-​shocking about the prices, compared to other bead places I’ve frequented across the country.
I have appreciated the friendliness I’ve experienced from the staff and other customers, and though I have yet to take a class, it would surprise me if their offerings were anything but a good time. Why go out on a limb like this? I’ve been making stuff (pick a discipline, and I’ve spent time in it) for over thirty years, and I can almost immediately tell whether I’ll be comfortable getting creative somewhere. I get the sense that the staff care about what I’m doing, and though I’ve seen some harried staff behind the counter, I’ve not experienced the cold shoulder of superiority that I’ve felt elsewhere at other specialty makercraft shops.
I’d have to recommend Baubles & Beads to anyone who wants to poke around and explore, or to anyone who knows exactly what their next creation is going to be, and certainly to anyone wanting to rejuvenate a cherished piece; do come here for a good bead problem-​solving session and/​or dreamy-​eyed stare-​fest.

Baubles & Beads. I have not been here in years, at least it has been a hundred years. The Mother used to restring her beaded jewellery and this place was one of her resources to purchase materials. I have purchased jewelers’ pliers and sterling silver wire from Baubles & Beads.
Before dashing off to a philosophy class, I thought I would make a quick stop by for fun and old times’ sake. I was also perusing to see about getting a delicate sterling necklace repaired but did not see any materials. .. will have to contemplate coming back with the necklace.
A sales associate greeted me with a friendly hello and asked me if I needed assistance. I politely declined and informed the sales associate that I was just looking. Well, the baubles and beads sold here are still dazzling as ever in an array of colors and designs. Still very well stocked with materials and supplies: beading string, closures, clasps, beading trays, etc.
Will have to make a return visit. On the way out, the same associated bade me good-​by and to have a nice day. I replied the same. I did not experience any of the poor customer service written about in other Unilocal!reviews. Hmm, Baubles & Beads must be reading the Unilocal!Reviews and taking notes.
Very interesting.
Fresh Review #44 of 100 Unilocal!for 2013