this place sucks. I had a bad experience here. the owner was rude, did not listen to my simple and frankly very sentimental project. All I wanted were some glass beads and empathetic customer service. The young associates are nice, I spoke to the wrong person, apparently!. Felt worthless leaving this shop, thank you so much for that read more

A bit pricey but such a cool selection of beads and beading materials. I happily spend my money here and always enjoy this shop. :)

If you're ever in the mind of making something special for a loved one, or you have a concept of a piece of jewelry you'd like to make, look no further than Heart Bead. Today they helped me create three pieces for my three best friends, up to 3 staff helping to make the perfect gift, 100/10 customer se I've been in the store multiple times and am always pleasantly welcomed in this one. If you're a beginner in jewelry making, they can help you make it right there once you've gathered your materials with helpful pricing muffin tins. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable in helping you create your little treasure! Honestly, it's one of the warmest experiences I've had in my life. I return not just for an outlet for my creativity but because the shop makes me feel peaceful and inspired. Also don't forget all the beautiful jewelry that the staff makes! I watched one lovely lady put together a multiple piece purple bead pair of earrings. SO GORGEOUS! Don't walk, run to Heart Bead. read more

Heart Bead - The necklaces they helped me make for my besties - Art Supplies Near Me - Arcata, California

I have shopped in this store many times, and look forward to going every time I head to the coast. However, no I am not so sure. I went into the store last weekend to get some things. I started with my findings because I didn't want to forget so I didn't have much at this point. I was browsing for a while, then went to the counter and found something I wanted, was helped with it and and wanted to see something else but was interrupted by two women who wanted help putting together their necklaces. The clerk did not stop them and say she would be with them in a minute, nor did she look at me and say excuse me, she just abandoned me and left me standing there. I interjected at one point and asked to see a certain bead I was looking at on the string instead of individually. She said "we don't have any of those" and proceeded to help the girls that had interrupted me. Um, I was looking right at what she said "don't have any of". When she was done with the girls she looked at me and said, "I am taking my break" and left. So, I was just standing there with my things in hand at the counter with no one to help me. I waited a few minutes put my tray on the counter and left. I don't know if somehow I gave the impression I wasn't serious because I had a couple of meager findings, or if I wasn't an enthusiastic young person needing help with a necklace, but I was looking to buy some good quality beads while I was in town but was treated like I didn't matter. read more

I get that covid makes running a business hard right now, but a policy of only 5 "breathers," as the sign puts it, in the store at a time is uber-conservative for a store space that is probably 800-1000 sq. ft. That being said, with a line of 6 people waiting outside, they permitted a family of 4 (mother, father, 2 little girls) to wander the store, sit down at the table to plan their project, and take at least half an hour in the store (thats all the time I could stand waiting out in the cold before deciding to leave). I'd like to see a better management of patrons allowed in, as the attendant really did nothing that I could see to manage what was happening. I get that it's not the stores fault that a family decided to rudely jam up the max capacity rule for themselves, but the attendant could have mentioned to them that people are waiting. read more

This establishment is one of few businesses I will never visit, due to staff being rude. This establishment doesn't welcome customers with disabilities. I would never support a business that feels the need to call out a customer for having autism in from of a group of people. I was a customer and witnessed the staff rudely and disgustingly call out a mother with her autistic son. Her very young son wasn't able to have a mask on and she had to explain herself multiple times in front of other customers before leaving. Please don't support this place. read more

I can't believe I made my own earrings! The young lady informed me I could choose the materials and approach an associate to receive assistance with assembling the jewelry. The only downside to this place is that I'm so indecisive, and I was overwhelmed with how many materials they had available to peruse. I looked and looked, and couldn't decide. I finally decided on my beads, stone, and metal. The young lady was very patient and understanding of my vision for the end result. Thank goodness I live far away from this place; otherwise, I'd be here everyday creating who-knows-what. Super affordable as well! The entire process from my indecisiveness to the finished product took about 15 minutes. Amazing place for the younger ones. I saw two little girls super excited to make their own necklaces :) I'll definitely be back when I'm in town visiting. read more

Heart Bead - I'm the only person in the world with these earrings! - Art Supplies Near Me - Arcata, California

I make jewelry and get a lot of my beads here, they have beautiful unique selections and I think they're reasonably priced based on the quality. There's one woman who works here, may be the owner¿who is always very kind and helpful when I'm in there. There's another young woman that works there, who wears glasses, honestly on more than one occasion she's been a little snappy towards me and other customers, and overall not the friendliest. I attribute it to her being overwhelmed. I used to work in customer service so I try to be understanding. Maybe she shouldn't work on busy days so she doesn't feel too over stimulated read more

Janessa was amazing! She made my friends and I 10 beautiful rings and was so patient :) Coming back for more rings! read more

I had fond memories of this store years ago when I attended HSU. My sister is a jewelry maker visiting from overseas. She was like a kid in a candy store piling up tools and beads she was gonna buy. I needed help making a necklace. The young woman helping me said she's about to leave but her boss the owner was the right person to help me. The boss and I met for 30 seconds then she walked away to help someone at the register. We waited for 20 minutes and she continued to help person after person who came in after us. She took her sweet time and even helped them with designs. Never did she tell anyone I'll be right with you, I was helping someone before you came in. Never did she make eye contact with us letting us know she'll be right with us. She seemed defiant and unwilling to help us. After she helped four parties who arrived after us, she started making tourist recommendations to the last customer, taking her sweet time finding out what the woman was into. It was so blatantly rude that we walked away. We were polite, friendly and respectful. We were in our happy place. I can't imagine why this woman was so vile to us. She certainly provided great service to others in front of us. We were not locals and we are not White. Maybe she's a xenophobe, maybe she's a racist, maybe she just doesn't like some people and abuses her position. Either way, the experience was traumatic and had a very negative effect. Great beads, maybe great talent but offensive service. read more

I went to this store and despite it being nicely arranged, I couldn't help but notice that I wasn't wanted there. I still tried to engage in a positive manner with the employee that was so interested in proximity and I could sense a disdain and nasty tone of voice. I still played it off like I didn't notice, and thought I would just come here and yelp my experience. I look younger than I am, so maybe she thought I was some college student that was in town temporarily, and wouldn't know the difference between a nice person and a person that is annoyed with you but simply faking it to appease you. I will never go to this store again and wouldn't recommend it to people (like me) I know. read more

I'll never go back into this store again with how my daughter's and I were treated after waiting by the door for 15 minutes. There is a sign saying 5 customers at a time so we waited. When 3 left, we went in, only to get yelled at saying they were at capacity. 3 left, 3 went in, seemed right to us. But no, so we waited longer. Then 1 more left, by this time there's another group of 3 waiting behind us. We go in, as soon as we went in, the lady working told the group behind us they could come in.....which put it over capacity. To top it off, we had questions regarding beads. When we asked the lady for help, she was beyond rude and not helpful at all..I'll never spend another penny there, neither will my daughter's. read more

The employees are sooo rude. Bad energy. Oh and don't park in front of there store because if u make one mistake they snapping photos of ur car for the car police. read more

I love this place. They repaired a necklace for me on the spot. The staff is so friendly. Today, I had to give up a necklace cause it broke and it was time consuming for me to repair myself. So, I gave them this necklace and they can restring it and sell it. I had no problem doing this cause they are all artists and someone will get a neat necklace when they are done. I loved the staff and how helpful they were to me.Best bead shoppe ever! read more

Heart Bead is an amazing place. My daughter and I love to go in there, because we know we'll leave with some kind of treasure. The staff is always helpful, creative, and seem to know what I want before I do. Once something's put together I can see that I like it, but I am close to useless on my own. Regardless of my aesthetic inadequacies, the staff is always happy to help me, and I always come away satisfied. Over the years I have made a necklace, a new clasp for my purse, earrings, and backpack clips for a friend's daughter. One woman even styled my daughter's hair and stuck those cute little chopsticks in it. Go. Go. Go. Incredible selection, relaxed atmosphere, and talented staff. read more

I hate to give this place a bad review because they have an extensive selection of beads. I would've spent quite a bit of money at the store if the sales people hadn't been so aggressive in following me around or blowing me off the few times that I've been into the store. Whoever was working "assumed" I was going to steal something. I've never stolen a thing in my life. I know what salespeople do when they feel like there is theft happening. Is it because I was the only brown person in the store? Having heard similar experiences from close friends who have been into the store as well, that is the conclusion that I've come to. I even came back into the store to give it another chance and had a staff member standing behind me, practically breathing on the back of my neck the whole time. The other times I have been into the store I was completely blown off. The salespeople focused on other things behind the counter, talking to their fellow staff members, fumbling on their phones, or more interested in serving other customers. I'm sure heart bead has a loyal following of customers, but I certainly won't be one of them. read more

I love the cute little selection of beads but the attitude of the woman who works there made me never want to go back. Every time I've been in she has a needlessly condescending approach to customer service, and makes you feel bad for being there at all. I miss the tall brunette woman who stopped working there this year :/ for bead shopping I prefer spirit stones in arcata, fire mountain gems, and barrel of beads for better service and way better prices. read more

I wish we had a place like this in San Diego. Heart Bead was an overwhelming blast of creativity. Upon entering, my jaw dropped when I saw the selection of beads and types of jewelry that could be made. Really, the only limiting factor is your own personal creativity and preferences when it comes to Heart Bead. All of the beads are organized in bins and easy to peruse. I had no problem whatsoever finding the colors, shapes, and price range I was looking for. The beads range anywhere from .3 cents each to $6 depending on what you want. They have materials made of everything from shell to wood to glass. Take your pick! It was also very simple to find the right tools to put the jewelry together such as clasps and wire. The staff was extremely helpful as well, seeing as I'm not a pro jewelry maker. Jonathan helped me put my projects together when I ran into difficulties. He's a real nice guy. While we were there, they were hosting a birthday party and the kids were having a fantastic time. I also overheard that they offer beading classes periodically. Great selection. Friendly staff. Low prices. What's not to like? read more

This place rocks! The dangly olive martini earrings were what drew me in the first time. The service I received was impeccable and surprising. I asked how much to make the earings in the window. The sales woman told me and when I said I wanted three pairs, she proceeded to select all the necessary items needes to make the earrings. She then made the earring for me right in front of my eyes, FOR FREE! Unbelievable! Instant gratification. They have a little tip jar so be sure to show the women at Heart Bead some $Love$. read more

It's still wonderful at Heart Bead! After the farmer's market, we went in for a fix. Alex got a set of earrings made. After window-shopping, I sat at their work table and knitted. Friendly busy place. Worth a visit!! As noted by Anastacia, they're so helpful. The ladies know their stuff! read more

I came there recently to get a necklace fixed and it was a great experience. Good customer service, they were very helpful and knew exactly what they were doing. Their selection and products are excellent, I will come here for everything I need to do with jewelry. read more

I went here with my son who is autistic and 6. When I first came in the lady was very rude to begin with but she told me that my son will need a mask to come in because his over two. I told her he does not need a mask because he is special needs and she just gave me a very rude stare and did not say anything else. I did not feel welcome here and I did not feel that they deserved my business. Will not be going back. read more

So glad we wandered into this well organized and creative bead shop on our visit in Arcata! We did not even know we needed any beads until we started looking around. Very enticing selection! We bought many pairs of unique beads to be able to make earrings when we get back home. Staff was attentive and helpful. I am sure we will shop at again in future visits to the area. read more

Stopped by on a Saturday to browse and found the lovely ring selections. Janessa was extremely helpful, she made 11 rings between me and my 2 friends and did an AMAZING job. She was friendly and had a wonderful attitude with all the work we brought her way. If you're looking for cute, custom rings stop by and make sure you have Janessa help you! read more

Super fun!! I went with a 7yr old and she showed me how it works. We cruised around and picked out a central piece which was an Asian coin, and found an assortment of other fun items to make it all go shazam!! She made a necklace and I made earrings and they have more meaning than anything I could have ever bought. The staff was super helpful and I learned a lot too! read more

I am going to admit up front that I am NOT the crafty or artistic type. The idea of spending an afternoon making my own jewelry didn't appeal to me at all and I only visited this store because friends of mine like it and I was visiting Arcata for the weekend. I was in shock when we walked in and it was so beautiful. Everything is displayed in a gorgeous manner, making you want to spend hours perusing each and every thing in the store. I ended up buying some artisan blown glass and as I was asking questions to the clerk on what to do with it, she just started asking me questions and before I knew it, she was creating jewelry right in front of me. It was fascinating and inspiring. I had no idea of what went into jewelry making and beading and all. She patiently answered a hundred of my questions. I spent a good couple of hours in a store that I thought I'd spend 20 minutes max in. And when I walked out, lo and behold, I had purchased a couple of kits on beading some simple earrings. They got me!!! All in all a great experience and I can't wait to visit again next time I am craving a long drive through the giant redwoods! read more

I was on a road trip and stopped by. I absolutely love this store! The ladies in there were so beyond helpful! They also have a great bead selection. read more

I love this place!!! They are so helpful, kind, have such an excellent variety of beads, and are so reasonably priced! This is the perfect place to go for a gift or to fix some of your own jewelry. You won't be disappointed! read more

Awe, I've been coming to Heart Bead since childhood, always really inspiring, even if my projects never quite get finished. Great selection of beads and project accessories. The staff is always really friendly, knowledgeable, and ready to help in any way. read more

Let me start off by saying that most of the staff here is friendly and helpful. The beads and fixings are beautiful. However, I was in the store yesterday with my friend whose second language is English and I could not believe the way she was treated BY THE MANAGER. The manager (she told us who she was because I asked) was incredibly condescending and rude and made everyone in the store uncomfortable, but was especially off-hand with my friend, who misunderstood a few of her questions. My friend was nearly in tears as we left the store. Yesterday was by far the worst encounter I have had with this woman, but I must say it wasn't the first. The owner should speak with her about her attitude, she is chasing away customers. read more

I've been an occasional customer for 15 years and made some pretty cool stuff. But 6 months ago I was buying some zipper pulls, putting split rings and beads on them, then installing them on a leather jacket. I'm older and have a crippled left hand. A gal was helping me. I thanked her for her consideration but said that I liked the challenge of getting my fingers to do the job myself. She continued helping me. Then at the register added an extra charge. She explained that it was for assisting me. I was appalled and haven't been back since... till last week. At the register I politely explained why I haven't been in for awhile. The gal coldly explained that this was their new policy. "Even when I asked not to be helped?!" She then pointed to a little note that explained their labor charges and said they were posted all over the store. read more

I came into this little cute shop looking for a stetchy cord to make bracelets with. I definitely found it. I wanted to look around a little, so I started walking away from the counter to the other sections to look at beads. However, the worker stopped me and said, "Can I hold that for you?" with a voice that showed fear of me stealing and basically taking it out of my hands. I let her hold it and I continued to look around. my friends and I looked at the beads for earrings and the same worker followed us "rearranging" the beads. So, if you are a PERSON OF COLOR and want to support unconsciously prejudice people, this is the place to go. read more

The best staff! I'd come in here all the time with a torn picture from a magazine and they'd help me put it together. Very nice. Very helpful. Great selection of beads. The owner does a great job picking up gorgeous pieces for the store. More places need to learn a thing or two about how to run a bead store. I'm an avid beader and this place is by far the best. read more

Fun, and friendly store. They have a massive assortment . Pricing is comparable to most bead shops.

I come here a lot. The women here are very efficient and suggestive, as well as helpful and kind. The prices here are affordable and the variety is large in range. They recognize me now and are very welcoming. read more

The staff is extremely helpful. Great selection! Love Heart Beads!

I was THRILLED with my first experience at Heart Bead. I had a very specific idea for a necklace to give my mom for her 60th birthday, which was only two days away! I frantically walked into Heart Bead to describe my idea and my short timeline. They loved the idea and helped me select a beautiful pattern for the necklace. They were super sweet and patient with me and said they could hand make the necklace by the afternoon. About 30 minutes after I'd left the store, I came back with a request to change the pattern and add a matching pair of earrings. They were more than happy to adjust my order and didn't bat an eye at the extra few hours of labor it would take to complete it (at a small fee). The greatest part of my entire experience was giving my mom a unique, personalized gift she'll treasure forever. Thank you, Heart Bead! read more

Heart Bead is wonderful. The staff is awesome!

Great experiences! I bring all my friends and family here when they visit from out of state. The staff are extremely knowledgeable, creative and positive! The materials used are high quality, and impressive. My boyfriend has made beautiful pieces from here. Lots of fun! read more

Janessa was amazing at making jewelry! She helped make me three rings. Between me and my two friends she made ten rings that were all beautiful. She was so nice and was able to turn our dreams into a reality. Would definitely go back and have her make me more rings. read more