StowawayBeads

Your Knowledgable Source for Earthy Gemstone Beads

Union City, California On Etsy since 2010

42,666 Sales | 5 out of 5 stars

Buyers are raving!

This shop got multiple 5-star reviews in the past 7 days.

StowawayBeads

Your Knowledgable Source for Earthy Gemstone Beads

Union City, California | 42,666 Sales

5 out of 5 stars

Shop owner

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Announcement    I hope you'll enjoy my wide selection of earthy gemstone beads. Looking for a specific item? There's a handy search box at the top of my shop. :)

For more information, see my policies and profile, or contact me with your questions at any time.

Join me on Facebook for info about your favorite gemstones! http://www.facebook.com/StowawayBeads
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive exclusive coupon codes!
http://news.stowawaybeads.com

My handmade jewelry shop: http://lavajewelry.etsy.com

Announcement

Last updated on Oct 18, 2018

I hope you'll enjoy my wide selection of earthy gemstone beads. Looking for a specific item? There's a handy search box at the top of my shop. :)

For more information, see my policies and profile, or contact me with your questions at any time.

Join me on Facebook for info about your favorite gemstones! http://www.facebook.com/StowawayBeads
Sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive exclusive coupon codes!
http://news.stowawaybeads.com

My handmade jewelry shop: http://lavajewelry.etsy.com

Items

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42666 Sales
7537 Admirers
 
Michele Dodge

Contact shop owner

Michele Dodge

Reviews

Average item review
5 out of 5 stars
(16549)
See reviews that mention:
quality 1843 shipping 3172 customer service 1591

About StowawayBeads

Sales 42,666
On Etsy since 2010
  • Packaging orders

A Geologist Offering Gemstone Beads

I create sterling silver gemstone jewelry under the name Lava Jewelry. I started selling my surplus supplies a few years ago, and I quickly learned that I truly enjoyed selling jewelry-making supplies to other jewelry-makers. I decided to intentionally buy more supplies than I could possibly use myself so I could share the extras.

My background is in geology, which is probably why I find myself so drawn to gemstones. I am self-taught in gemology, and I'm always eager to learn more about gemstones. I love learning about the formation, origins, physical properties, and enhancements of the gemstones I use.

I offer gemstone beads in half- and full-strands at reasonable retail prices, in hope that they will be enjoyed by hobbyists and Etsy jewelry shop owners alike. I travel to find beads that are unique, in addition to stocking the classic must-have beads.

I hope you'll enjoy these gemstones as much as I do!

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Shop members

  • Michele Dodge

    Owner, Photography, Packaging, Purchasing

    A geologist by training, I love to find gorgeous gemstone beads to offer my customers.

Shop policies

More information

Last updated on Aug 3, 2018
Frequently asked questions
Sizing details

I do my best to provide measurements for all of my beads, but sizes and drill holes measure quite a bit in natural gemstone beads. All measurements listed are approximate only.

Are all of your beads natural gemstones?

With the exception of hematite, all of the beads I offer were made by nature. Quite a few of them have been enhanced in various way to improve appearance or durability. I try to mention the known treatments in my listings. I personally prefer natural, untreated gemstones, so I choose those whenever possible. However some types of gemstones are always, always treated. For example, onyx is not black in nature.; black onyx is always dyed. Soft minerals like magnesite must always be stabilized to be durable enough to use as beads. Citrine and carnelian beads are almost always heat-treated. And although hematite is a naturally-occurring mineral, hematite beads are always man made. If you'd like to know about a particular gemstone, please ask me.

Do you offer wholesale?

Sales tax is automatically added to any order being shipped to a California address. If you are a reseller in California, please send me a completed BOE resale certificate (Form 230). Once I have verified your seller's permit, I will refund your sales tax.

Do you offer bulk discounts?

I offer bulk discounts for orders of $100+, $250+, and $500+ in the form of coupon codes sent out in my monthly newsletter (sign up at http://news.stowawaybeads.com ).

What do gemstone grades mean?

We've all seen bead shops that claim all of their beads are grade "A+++". Unfortunately, this isn't very meaningful or helpful when shopping. The problem is that there is no standardized system for grading gemstone beads, either nationally or internationally, so here I provide the criteria used for grading the beads sold in my shop. I hope that these criteria will be helpful to customers purchasing online from me.

See "Gemstone Grades" below.

Gemstone Grades

Grade D: Beads that can be used in more rustic or crafty projects. Often made with material that has flaws or less-than-ideal color. Can include uneven cutting or off-center drilling. I include these beads because I find them pretty, flaws and all. Depending on what kind of work you are doing with these beads, you may find there are several culls per strand with these beads.
Grade C: Better quality than Grade D (fewer flaws and better color), but can include uneven cutting or off-center drilling. The size and shape of the beads within a strand can vary a good amount. Depending on what kind of work you are doing with these beads, you may find there are a few culls per strand with these beads.

Gemstone Grades, Cont.

Grade B: Quality material, with a good polish (unless the beads are intentionally meant to be matte, or a softer material that does not take on a good polish), good cutting and drilling. Beads that are rated Grade B in my shop can be found graded as Grade A, AA, and AAA elsewhere. The beads are fairly uniform in size and shape throughout the strand. These are some nice gemstone beads.
Grade A: Best material which is usually used in making beads. Excellent polish, cutting, and drilling. The beads are extremely uniform in size and shape.
Grade AA: High-quality material that is usually not used in beads, because it can fetch a higher per-carat price when sold as loose faceted stones or cabochons than as beads.

What does "limited quantity" mean?

The items that I have labelled "limited quantity" are beads that I don't expect to be able to restock in the future.

Do you combine shipping?

No, I do not combine shipping for multiple orders. If you wish to purchase more than one item, please place all items in your shopping cart and check out just once. The shipping cost is reduced for additional items added to your cart. Shipping is weight-based.