very helpful. knowlegeable know how to bead different styles. great service and very friendly. have a huge selection of different beads. prices are extremely fair. roger m read more

Love this place! So much selection and the prices are just right. I could stay here all day.

Nicest people ever! Auntie was so nice, excited, and clearly loved her job. The 30 minute drive here was do worth it!!

What an incredible store! I was visiting family over the holidays and wanted to stop in and I was so impressed with the selection! So many cool, modern, fun styles of beads. Different types of metals, tools, and even gemstone beads too! And the cashier and owner were so helpful and kind. I'll definitely be back to stock up on my supplies when I'm in town! read more

With all the big name craft stores lacking, and my local craft warehouse closing, I was desperate for a new place to find beads. This place is amazing especially if you are looking for seed beads!!! Prices are extremely fair and the quality of beads is fabulous! Everyone is very friendly as well. The only downside is they request to keep your bag; if you bring it in, behind the counter. And because of how helpful the associates are sometimes they are briefly left unattended. Easy fix, just bring your wallet vs your purse/leave your purse in the car. read more

This morning I felt so excited to finally visit this bead store that's been on my list since moving to Portland 4 months ago. Perhaps this is a thing in Portland I'm just not used to... to be treated as a thief the moment I walked into the door felt gut wrenching . Not once in my life have I stolen anything, and to be asked by a merchant (that I am trying to purchase goods from) to either surrender my purse to their possession or put it in my car to be at the mercy of a thief waiting to break into my car for it, really sucks, honestly. Asking a customer to jeopardize their personal belongings to shop in your store feels so out of touch with any sense of customer service. I drove an hour to visit this store, and on my very first visit was turned away because I didn't feel comfortable surrendering my purse to a stranger, nor leaving it in my car. This was an incredibly disheartening experience and definitely took the wind out of my sails. I do not recommend this shop. If you do go, and drive far out of your way, (because the selection looks amazing, and the lady was genuinely nice and honestly seemed to feel bad asking) ensure you do not bring even a compact purse (seriously mine is no bigger than a fanny pack and it was on my back). read more

A Bead Source - Cross body Purse size, water bottle for reference. - Jewelry Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Im in LOVE with this family "Owned and ran" company! Customer service with Colleen was great today! Im in love with the Terra Intensive Opaque Purple I just found! Ohhh! I WILL be back! Thank you Colleen! DeAnn Jackson read more

One of the best bead shops in the nation. You can see all the cool stuff online IRL. A little far but you should spend at least an hour just looking through the massive inventory. They have natural stone, Czech glass, African antique, everything. Findings too. read more

If you need any beading supplies you can imagine, this is where you'll find them. Same goes for information about beads or beading technique. Their selection is nothing short of impressive, and if for some reason their extensive collection doesn't include what you're looking for, they'll get it for you. I stopped in because I volunteered to repair a bracelet for someone and realized I was missing a few beads. I had no idea what size beads I was looking for and figured I'd have better luck matching color in person than online. Stopped in here and I'm so glad I did. The lady who helped me knew at a glance what size and color/material I needed. That's exactly the kind of service and expertise I always hope to find at a specialty store, but rarely do. This place exceeded expectations I didn't even know I had. Next time I need anything bead-related, this will be my first stop. read more

Love this place! Drove down there from Vancouver WA. Worth it! Got so many varieties of charms and beads for a very good price. The staff were all lovely and give off such a fun and good vibe. Felt welcome and everyone was helpful. We have limited options for bead stores in Vancouver, but driving to Portland was worth it. Will definitely be going back when my supply gets low read more

A catastrophic fire, last May 2020 temporarily shuttered this gem of a local business. The fire totally destroyed all inventory and the interior. Turned all the gem stones into dust! Work crews are on-site today (9 Feb 2021) and installing new windows. The owner/staff are working hard to rebuild the store and restock with new inventory. Staff are answering the phone and are very helpful. They are willing to take gemstone (bead) orders over the phone, but it might not be until April that ordered inventory my be available to pick up. Call to inquire! Please help support A Bead Source to get back on a rock solid foundation. Call and place an order for beads and gems, etc. read more

A Bead Source - My collection of raw roadside stones collected from Nov2020 road trip to SW US States... for tumbling! - Jewelry Near Me - Portland, Oregon

BEAUTIFUL store with incredible inventory! Well worth the trip. The staff is also very knowledgeable and helpful. And with Swarovsky crystals too! They have it all for your beading needs. I will definitely return. read more

What a great crystal & crystal bead shop!!!! Amazing prices and selection! Definitely will be back to shop here again! Thank you!!!!

I casted my beady eyes on this place when I walked in. I get so overwhelmed entering this store because there are so many beads, and beads supplies everywhere I look. There's also the cutest little kitten hanging around as well. I cannot believe how behaved it was too. So many toys to play with! Anyway, I have enough beads at home to also fill up a store like this so I averted looking at any more beads. I did need chain and some findings which they also have a good amount of here. I did have a question on a particular finding and the counterperson immediately showed me an example of what you would do with this item. Very helpful indeed. I've been going here for years and I truly appreciate that they are here and located near enough to home, though not close enough to create too bad of a habit. read more

The customer service is exceptional. Took her time for a 2 dollar sale. Last bead store I went to I almost screamed on the lady because se was so pushy. They have a great selection and I can't wait to go back. Thanks read more

Wonderful shop and people! They are back in business after the fire. They have the best variety and are very helpful! Highly recommend.

I have recently been bitten really hard by the jewelry making bug and have visited most of the bead shops in town. Beads are the new crack. I'm sure others have noticed that beads are often measured in grams. That cannot be a coincidence. Sure, A Bead Source is way the heck out on Division, but is worth the trip. They stock a lot of Czech glass beads, including the pressed glass flower beads that I have only seen online & hard to find bugle beads of varying sizes. They also have a good selection of loose beads and hanks for sale. They also have Czech seed beads, which are hard to find since everyone is all about the Japanese beads these days. The prices are good, the inventory vast. read more

I love this bead shop SO MUCH. the women that work there are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The inventory is dazzling and I can't go there often otherwise I would be broke. It's fun to just look around at all the options. If you are looking for beads and accessories this is the place!! read more

I love A Bead Source. Someone who wrote a so-called "review" had a bad case of the Nasties that day. I've been coming here for years and have always been treated courteously--the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The selection is excellent, and they carry things you don't normally find in most bead stores, such as raw materials for those who do Rendevous, and persons seeking beads for Middle Eastern costume. Be sure to close the door on your way in. There is a sweet shop cat on duty and sometimes the owner's small dogs are there too, although they usually hang out behind the counter. Plan on spending some time here. There is a lot to see, and a lot of decisions to make! read more

I like the way you Have the trays with bags & tags so I can bag myself so I can remember the prices. Nice selection. Lots of colors. I didn't find all I wanted but I did find some treasures. read more

This is my favorite bead store. I've been to a good number of the ones in town, and Bead Source has the most selection of what I look for, with the best prices. Not to mention there's actually parking, which can be difficult further into town. They have a huge selection of charms, swarovski, and semi- precious stones. There are so many choices of random beads that it's like a candy store when I come in here, and my friend and I are like "ooh look at this" and we pull eachother back and forth at least a few times every visit. We don't really do this at other bead stores. They have sales on random things, the people are nice, and they'll exchange things with a receipt. read more

I love this store, everyone there is so kind to me. I had received a lot of rock chips from someone else, And Dixie (the owner) was willing to help me find out what I had and helped me to know what they are. Also I shop there to make earrings and create different styles. These are very good people. I love shopping here. read more

Super helpful! I came in because the clasp on my Squash Blossom necklace that belonged to my grandmother broke, and I needed help. They helped me pick out some new sterling findings and let me restring my necklace at their desk. Then they showed me how to crimp and put everything together. I walked out of there with my necklace all in one piece again, but even better and more secure than before. I was clueless and worried I would have done something primitive on my own. So thankful for their help! read more

The sisters running this wonderful gem of a store were such a treat to spend time with. They were so helpful to a jewelry making amateur like myself who came in with a special project. They immediately treated me like family in such a warm, unpretentious way and dropped what they were working on to help me find and put together the right things. Looks like they have a HUGE selection of really fun beads and tokens, enough to let your imagination soar for years. Definitely, pay these gals a visit. read more

I am amused to be reviewing a bead store, because I don't do beadwork. However, when you find a gem, you want others to know about it. Here's my experience. I had bought a little Inuit statue that had bead eyes, but one was missing. I called A Bead Source to ask if they might have a replacement. The woman who answered the phone should receive a gold medal for her customer service! She was just amazing as she talked to me while looking through her stock, and suggested that I come in, as she was sure that she could help me. I visited the next day, and got even more gold medal quality customer service! We looked around for a matching bead, couldn't find just the right one, and decided to replace both eye beads. Selling me the beads should have been the end of my experience, but this amazing staffer offered to glue them in for me! Can you believe that? While she was doing the gluing, I wandered around the store, and discovered that they have lots of cool stuff besides beads. I left with a smile on my face, and my restored statue! Thank you for EVERYTHING, A Bead Source! read more

For some reason, the bad review stuck in my mind and I almost didn't go here. Wow, I have to say that there is almost no relationship between what that person wrote and what this store looks like - it's great. I'm not a jewelry maker so I've been going around to the bead stores in town looking for a good source of seed beads and someone who knows something (anything) about loom work so I could ask a few questions. This was the fourth place I went and was, hands down, the very best store for the type of work I want to do - at least out of the stores I've visited. There are supposed to be two more that are good that I will check out. The person at the checkstand was very friendly. She even went so far as to POUR OUT a tube of beads and count them for me so I could get the exact number I needed for my project. That blew me away. I got what I needed for beads and she got me into the right thread and a good size needle for my project. After buying a whole set of the wrong beads at another place, it was a relief to get what I really needed and not waste any more money and time. Love it, I will be back, even though I live north of Hillsboro, it was worth the drive. read more

I'm visiting from California. I only had 30 minutes to shop. The store was about to close. I was in bead heaven. Everything organized & in your reach. If I lived in OR this would be my store. read more

I so miss this place! Moving to Las Vegas, you'd think there would be bead stores as good as A Bead Source, but sadly, no. The Swarovski selection is the best I've seen. Always have the findings in that I need and in bulk, too. Ladies are helpful, not super friendly unless they've seen you before, but that doesn't bother me too much. I learned to wire wrap at this store for free, took all of five minutes. My visits back to Portlandia will for sure include a nice long shopping trip to A Bead Source. read more

Terrific experience at the Bead Source! I went to this place based on previous yelp reviews and was very glad I did. Pros were great bead selection, low prices and excellent service. I was picking out beads to make multiple bracelets with friends and walked away very happy with the supplies I got for the price. Only con was that it was out by 150th Ave SE so a little far from central Portland. However, it was definitely worth the drive. I will go back very soon. read more

From first hand experience... there's something to be said about the number of negative reviews here. As other reviews stated, two ladies were talking to each other and negligent. I sure wish we had the excellent customer service others have had! We actually left behind the bagged items because they made it pretty clear they did not want us in their store. read more

I love this store! If they don't have it, they'll get it for you. There's so much to choose from. Whenever I have a "special" project and need a little help, wow. Colleen is my favorite person to go to for just that. Everyone there is always very, very helpful. I hope they're going to be in business for a long time! (For some reason, my husband's name keep showing up in this review but it's really mine! I can't fix it, I guess. Ann) read more

I have visited this place only once, but I had a good experience. They have a fantastic selection. When I went to check out, the girl informed me that if I spend $5 more dollars I could save $10. So I thought that was really nice. I'm going shopping there again today. So I definitely give it a thumbs up. read more

I'm a full time jewelry designer and have been coming to Bead Source for years. I order supplies from all over the world -- I can only say wonderful things about the people who work here and the great selection of Swarovski Crystals, stones, findings and other treasures to be found. Prices are very reasonable and everybody there has ALWAYS gone above and beyond to help find specific items I'm looking for and with customer service. Violet, the kitty, is a sweet addition to the store who makes me laugh every time I come in. I highly recommend stopping by -- it's well worth the trip! read more

Wonderful store and great stock. If they don't have it, they are more than willing to make recommendations and get it for you asap. Great diversity in sterling silver spacers and findings, which is think is very important, and I just love the gem stone beads. High quality for those of us who need our real stones, and a massive variety of non-gem beads for those who prefer them. Also, don't overlook their pendants and, next-door, rings. read more

went in for the first time in years the other day. Had a great experience. Was really tired and looking for specific items and the nice lady working the counter helped me find what i needed and Violet kept me company while i shopped. I thought the prices were lower than the places that used to be on Hawthorne. read more

I agree with some of the reviews, liked the selection. But was totally put off by the staff, there were 2 employees at the counter "visiting"! We were not even acknowledged when we came in, much less asked if we needed help. We were leaving and stopped by the counter to look at a few items, still being ignored we left! read more

This store had a lot to browse through bead wise but I didn't see a whole lot of NEW beads, findings, or styles of items. It was the same old items I've seen for about 10 years. The lady working there was not not helpful, accommodating or happy to be there. It was uncomfortable. I've been beading for over 20years to I've been to a lot of bead stores and love to see what local stores have when I travel. This store had great reviews so maybe I came on an "off" day, but I shouldn't have to suffer because I only have one opportunity to get in. It does have the 2nd largest amount of beads of the 5 stores I went to in the Portland area, but again, nothing new or initiative to note. read more

I went in the store the other day. I had not been in there for years. I was trying to fix an anklet that was cheaply make and I wanted to repair it rather then get rid of it. I was immediately greeted and attended by a young lady. Not only did she have the solution to my problem but also got the other pieces I would need to make the repair. I also ended up buying 5 beads and everything I needed to put it together (clasps,etc.). This young lady went above and beyond with customer service. Realizing I had a problem with the weight of all the beads together I went back hoping this young lady could help me out with some ideas. Well here comes the bad rating. The young lady must have been off that day or she must work later hours I don't know. I entered the store and had to look around for someone to attend me. I greeted her first instead of the other way around. I pulled out 2 of the beads I had previously purchased and explained to her my problem regarding the weight and she said so what do you want from me. She also asked if I wanted to return them. I said no I wanted help. From reading the other reviews I'm assuming this older woman is the owner. There was absolutely no customer service what-so-ever. After 20 minutes of not finding the misc. pieces (findings?) for the anklet I found her in the other room playing with the cat. HELLO SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE IN YOUR STORE PLEASE !!!!! I asked for help looking for something and I must have put her out when she had to put down the cat toy and help me. Then another customer entered the store, she must have been a regular because the conversation between the two was very animated. In my opinion the owner is very loud and not refined in any way. I hope the young lady gets paid well for going above and beyond and I'm sure she (the young lady) must do this with all the customers. The store itself is pure eye candy. The owner not so much. Next time I go in I will check and see who is working and if it is the owner I'm outta there. read more