UK Websites Selling Jewellery Making Supplies
Introduction
There are not many bricks and mortar bead shops in the UK. There are only a few in London and one (that I know of) in Brighton. I have purchased beads and findings from these shops and found them to be quite expensive compared to buying online, not surprisingly since they have to pay overhead costs. Buying online is cheaper and you have the luxury of purchasing from your own home 24hrs a day. The only downside is that you can’t see the products before buying them, which you can do in actual shops. I still buy from shops because I can get more inspiration from looking at theactual beads rather than photos of beads and because it’s much more fun (which is worth a little extra money sometimes).
Below are websites where I have purchased beads and findings and also websites that other people have recommended. I am not linked to any of these sites and I do not get any kind of commission for listing them here. These are just a list of bead sites that I like and have purchased beads and things from. When I started making jewellery I spent a lot on overpriced beads and findings. Overtime, I discovered where to get the best prices from sites within the UK. I want to share this with people so they don’t have to waste time and money trying out or clicking through different sites to find the best prices. When I search on an UK search engine for bead or jewellery making suppliers, a mixture of sites from all different countries comes up. I found this annoying since a lot of the time I only really want UK sites. There are lots of very good US sites, but postage can be expensive and it’s usually not worth it if you only want to buy a few items. This information with be useful to people in the UK who are thinking or making their own jewellery or who have just started. Anyway, enough of me going on, below are some of my favourite UK bead retail (jewellery making supplies) websites.
I have viewed all of these sites using a 56k modem to see how long these sites take to load. All of the sites have an acceptable upload time, although some are better than others.
Websites
Their description: Quality findings for all your jewellery projects.
My views: a nice looking medium sized site that looks professional. Nicely photographed products, easy to navigate and has a search feature. They sell good quality beads and findings. They have a nice range of Swarovski crystals (4mm bi-cones are £2.85 for 50 and £5.20 for 100) and pearls, mother of pearl beads and pendants, rocailles (seed beads), glass beads, a nice selection of semi-precious gemstone beads, tools and findings. UK postage costs £2.75 regardless of the size of the order, which is okay if you plan to buy a lot. Delivery is free for orders over £70. Postage to Europe and other countries costs £5.75 and £7.75 respectively. They accept credit cards and Paypal. For alternative payment methods you have to contact them.
Their description: Mail order jewellery components including semi-precious gemstones, precious and plated metal findings, vast range of beads all at low prices.
My views: simple, easy to navigate site. They do have an online shop, but I prefer to either order using their online form or email my order to them. They have a very large selection of products so I would recommend ordering a printed catalogue even though it costs £3.50. They have a separate wholesale price list, which you can request for free with the catalogue. The wholesale prices are available to everyone as long as you purchase the minimum quantities and you order comes to over£50 (ex. VAT). This seems like a lot, but their stock is so massive that it is not that hard to do. The quality of some of the items that I have purchased from them were not that good, although they were quite cheap so I guess I got what I paid for. I would recommend their sterling silver findings and some of the semi-precious beads, which are very reasonably priced. Postage costs£0.90 for invoice values of up to £10, £2.00 for values up to £20, £2.75 for values up to £50, £3.80 for values between £50 and £100 (ex. VAT for wholesale orders) and free if you spend over £100 (again ex. VAT for wholesale orders). Packages sent overseas will be registered and charged postage at cost. They accept credit cards and UK cheques.
Their description: JillyBeads, UK online suppliers of beads in glass, metal and bone, bead mixes, seed beads, gemstones and findings. Stocks both the useful and the unusual for jewellery making and craft projects.
My views: this is one of my favourite sites. It doesn’t look as professional as some other sites, but the pages load fast and there is a great selection of beads, findings and tools. They sell a large selection of Swarovski crystal beads and pendants (4mm uncoated bi-cones are £4.90 for 100, ex. VAT). They also have glass beads and a nice assortment of temporarily strung freshwater pearls. A 16” string of white 6mm freshwater pearls only cost £2.75. There are many adorable beads like the semi-precious stone beads in the shape of a bear and the various enamel charms in the shapes of handbags, shoes etc. You can make a purchase either online or by phone. Jillybeads accepts credit/debit card and UK personal cheques. Postage is cheap, it varies from order to order because they calculate it using the weight of the order. If you order online, you can see the postage cost when you checkout.
Their description: Grove Beads supply wholesale beads and beading accessories
My views: This is an okay looking site. I don’t really like their use of frames, but the pages loads fast, which is one of the most important things. Good selection of well-priced Swarovski crystal beads and pendants (4mm uncoated bi-cones are £3.95 for 100, ex. VAT), although I would like a larger choice of colours. There is a minimum order amount of £10 and UK postage costs £2.00 (ex. VAT) for any size order. Postage is cheap if you purchase a lot. Prices are similar to jillybeads.co.uk, if you plan to buy a few items (or spend less than £10) then buying from jillybeads will be better. I have purchased Swarovski crystal beads from them, which were cheaper than I have found elsewhere. Their selection of other beads are not so good, so if you don’t want to buy Swarovski crystal beads I would suggest going to a different site. They accept credit cards, UK cheques and postal orders.
Their description: Beadaddict..."BEADS and other stuff"...
My views: Another one of my favourite sites. Simple, fast loading site. The website design isn’t great, but they have a fantastic selection of beads. The products are good quality, which the prices reflect (they aren’t very cheap, but you get what you pay for). I adore the Miyuki cube beads (made in Japan), which can be used as spacers. They also have a large selection of Murano beads and pendants in a wide range of colours. You can get a gorgeous large murano bead/pendant for £3-£4, which isn’t bad. They also have Swarovski crystal beads. Although, if you want to buy Swarovski crystal bi-cones or hearts I wouldn’t recommend buying them from here because they are more expensive than other sites. However, they have some hard to find Swarovski crystal beads/pendants such as the Strauss snowflake, starfish and faceted donut. Postage is determined upon checkout. Postage is free for orders over £40 and a 10% discount on orders over £60. They accept credit cards and UK cheques. They also accept postal, telephone and fax orders, if you don’t want to use their online shop.
Their description: Beads Direct specialise in high quality Japanese glass beads for the specialist bead market alongside a whole range of findings and accessories to support your beading. We also offer some interesting and unusual feature beads to accent your work.
My views: large selection of japanese seed beads with good prices. I buy all my seed beads for beadwork from here. They also have some nice semi-precious stone beads. UK and European postage costs £1.76 regardless of the size of the order and there is no minimum order amount. You can either pay by credit card online or over the phone or by UK cheque via mail order.
Their description: Your Glass Beads Specialist, everything you need from glass beads to wire, pliers, watch faces, pendants and much more!
My views: there’s nothing particularly amazing about this site. They sell mostly inexpensive glass beads and they have some nice mixes. I have listed their website here because I really like the Russian doll charms, which I spent a long time looking for after I saw some on a piece of jewellery in a shop. Ironically, I found the Russian doll charms when I was searching for something else. They’re probably not to everyone’s taste, but I find them quite cute. UK postage costs £1 if your order is up to £9.99, £1.50 for orders between £10-£19.99. If you spend more than £20, postage is free. For the rest of Europe, posting is £5.50. Payment options include Paypal, credit/debit card, UK cheque and postal order.
This site has some really excellent products for beaders and jewellery makers. They have a large variety of bead and tool organisers. I had a hard time finding suitable bead organisers, so it was quite exciting coming across this site (I am addicted to beads and have loads). The large bead organisers are not that cheap, but worth it if you are serious about beading/jewellery making. Small bead organisers are also available for those that are not obsessed with beads. Thin organza ribbon and fine Italian wire mesh (for jewellery making) is also sold. Their sterling silver multi-strand slide clasps are cheaper than anywhere else I’ve found. They also sell jewellery making accessories, bead, tools, wire, etc., as well as other craft items. They have a small minimum order value of £10 and postage is at cost with a tiny handling fee of 40p. They accept credit/debit cards.
http://www.beadsandcrystals.co.uk
Their description: The brilliant website for making designs with Swarovski crystal.
My views: very nice website design and it loads fast. They have a huge variety of Swarovski crystals at lower prices than I have found elsewhere in the UK (£2.15 for 50 uncoated 4mm bi-cones). There are a large range of different colours and shapes. Postage is very reasonable at £1.95 for orders under £75 and £2.95 for orders over £75. They accept credit/debit cards. Thanks to Louise of raspberry-bloom for telling me about the site.
http://www.purplebeechdesigns.com
They sell David Christensen cane glass beads which are not available from many UK websites, hence the reason why I have listed this site here. They sell DC cane glass beads at reasonable prices and also in bead shape and colour groups, which is useful. They will be exhibiting at the London and Essex bead fairs, so if you are going you could check them out.
Bricks and Mortar Stores with Websites
Their description: UK supplier of beads and jewellery making components. We stock beads, pearls, findings, settings, pendants, charms, stringing materials, cabochons, tools, books, mobile cords, jewellery bags, kilt pins and lots more!
My views: this is a professional looking, fast loading site. A good site for beginners as it has a lot of silver plated and gold plated findings and charms, as well as tools and books (and beads of course!). However, they don’t have any sterling silver items on the site, though I have been told that they do stock sterling silver findings and will add them to the site later on. I like their crystal AB cube and round beads (not Swarovski but quite cheap, sold by the strand). This site has a minimum order value of £5 and free shipping for orders over £25. They also have a bricks and mortar shop at 11B Fore Street in Mevagissey, Cornwall.
Their description: World of Beads is a family run business, trading from a small shop situated in the historical cathedral City of Winchester, Hampshire.
They have a small selection of their inventory available to buy online, but they sell predominately from their 'bricks and mortar' shop. The website has a very nice selection of Italian murano beads, some other beads and findings, charms and tools. The World of Bead people are very helpful and you can contact them if you require something that isn't on the site. They accept Paypal and debit/credit cards. There is no minimum order and postage costs are £1.95 for orders up to £40, £2.95 for orders between £40 and £99, £4.95 for orders between £100 and £199 and free for orders over £200. You can find their shop at: 1 Stonemasons Court, Parchment Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8AT.
Sterling Silver Findings
Their description: Whether you are a Silversmith, Jeweller or Hobbyist, Palmer Metals can supply sheet, wire and tube in fine silver, sterling silver, fine gold or carat gold.
My views: extensive range of sterling silver and gold findings. They also sell tools and packaging (gift boxes). The price of their sterling silver wire is one the cheapest I have found so far. They are also good for jumps rings and head pins. Prices are exclusive of VAT. Delivery cost depends on the order, but is reasonable.
http://www.thesilvercorporation.co.uk
My views: not the best looking website, but a great assortment of beads and findings (which is what counts!). Very nice range of venetian beads, which I am mad about at the moment. I especially like the aventurina beads. Fabulous selection of sterling silver chains at nice prices as well as other sterling silver findings. They also stock vermeil findings. The more you buy of any one particular item the better the unit price, e.g. if you buy 5 9mm lobster clasps they will cost 75p each, 10 9mm lobster clasps will cost 70p each, whilst 25 clasps will cost 60p each. Orders over £150 will get a 10% discount. Free shipping for orders within the UK (woohoo), a flat rate of £5.50 is charged for international orders. They accept Paypal and credit/debit cards.