Where do I begin? Enchanting! Breathtaking! Wondrous! This quaint jewelry shop took me by surprise! I was simply looking for beads. When I stepped into Claude's store, I had no idea what magic the establishment held. Rows upon rows of striking, organic hand-colored, crafted wooden forms hung, majestically beckoning; enchanting! Beautiful! I'd never seen anything like it before in my life. I felt as if I'd stepped into an engaging museum of sorts. A place of integrity and craftsmanship extraordinaire! The owner was very accommodating, engaging, witty, and pleasant. He was patient with my inquiries, and imaginative, as well as instructive, in his creative suggestions. He exuded a passion for his work, and the items he offered to the public. His gentle nature made me feel 'at home' with each new discovery I came across, as I moved through the store. I appreciated the assistance I received from Claude, and his lovely staff. Claude even gave me a sample of his work, which he created at lightening speed! He demonstrated his dexterity and savoir faire in the creation of the pair of earrings he made so expertly! Complete, scintillating, and purchase-worthy. The hand-hewn ebony wood and copper earrings were unique! If shopping could always be this engaging and inspiring. Needless to say, I ended my introduction to the store with some enjoyable selections which I purchased. I've since used the wooden pieces in a number of items I've crafted. I've taken great pride in giving these pieces to family and friends, proud to speak of the materials used in crafting them. When my supply runs low, I now know where to go! Thank you, Claude, for my excellent introduction to crafting with new and exciting materials! read more

I'm not much a beads or crafts person but I had a necklace that was in need of repairs and I stumbled into this store yesterday. I have been to several other places and they were all either too busy to deal with such a tiny issue or were quoting a lot more than what I expected to pay for the fix.. I didn't have the piece on me but I was searching for a place near my work that I could bring it to in the future. The man behind the counter was fielding calls and dealing with the two other customers in the store. He managed the phone calls and then continued to fix a lady's necklace while asking the second client if he could help. I was impressed with his ability to multitask while concentrating on the jewelry on his desk. When it was my turn, I told him my situation and he immediately asked me to bring it in and offered a price much much lower than anywhere else I had visited. Today I went to drop the necklace off in hopes to pick it up after work. Not only was it repaired, it was done during my lunch break and for an even less amount than originally quoted. I never got the man's name but I should have asked and I haven't used Yelp before but I signed up just to make sure others are aware of this great store. read more

I brought Claude a very special ring that at least two other jewellers had told me was impossible to fix. He looked at it and, with quiet confidence and kindness, assured me he could do it. That ring is still in his care, and I'm waiting to pick it up--but the experience so far has already been remarkable. While I was in his shop, on the spot, Claude restored the shine and life of several pieces of my gold jewellery and fixed a small but tricky flaw in another ring--completely free of charge. His patience, attentiveness, and generosity were beyond anything I expected. I was truly moved when he polished a moonstone ring from the 1970s that my mother had given me. It hadn't been cleaned in decades and the stone had become dull and cloudy, like sea glass worn by time. Claude brought back its glow, its clarity--its soul--and made my day. He isn't just a skilled jeweller (which is apparent from the many beautiful pieces on display in his shop)--he seems to understand the deep sentimental value pieces carry, and he treats them with care and reverence. read more

The first place I go when I need unique, high quality materials for my jewellery is The Beadery on Queen Street. Their metal clasps and great assortment of semi-precious and wooden beads take your product to a much higher level. As well, Claude Abbitan's high quality, one of a kind rings, bracelets and necklaces in gold and silver are going to get a lot of compliments and attention. I commissioned a ring with a stone that had great sentimental significance to me and I was totally impressed, it was beyond anything I could have imagined! If you need any help with ideas or materials, Claude and his staff take the time to patiently help with answers to any questions you have and share their own ideas to help. It's well worth my while to drive to downtown Toronto from Waterloo to get my Beadery fix. read more

RUN AWAY FROM HERE! Many fake looking 5 star reviews. Read 1 stars first. The rudest owner imaginable doesnt know anything about jewelery repairs and will break or damage everything he touches. Destroyed 3 watches while simply asked to replace the batteries, then lied about it and asked for more money on pick up, then physically pushed us out the door for refusing. His staff also damaged gold earrings replacing a stone. He charges a fortune, full payment upfront. Takes weeks to get anything done, despite follow up calls and visits. He's a loud, aggressive and despicably rude individual, this Claude person. Don't spend a minute or a penny in this place. It will cost you your time, energy, money and jewelery. If you don't believe us, read the other 1 star reviews. Its not a coincidence. read more

I went to The Beadery to discuss a project I was working on: restoring an extremely elaborate old chalice. The owner, Claude, was really generous with his time, consulting with me about how best to connect the cup part to the base. I really wanted a large piece of lapis lazuli in between the top and bottom parts of the chalice. Claude agreed to custom make a piece that would fit exactly on the stem for me. He refused to take any money until he had it perfect. Not only is it a perfect fit, but he spent hours on it and finished it the same day. It looks absolutely regal and when I've finished the project I will come back and post a photograph of it. I'm really grateful to Claude. He's an artist. There is no way I could have done this without his help. read more

I am very pleased with the work that Claude did. I brought a family heirloom ring that needed fixing, two gold necklaces that needed soldering, and an expensive watch that needed a new battery. He told me that it was going to take two weeks, but instead it took a month. I dropped my items off during the holidays just as they were moving to a new location, so I understood why it took longer and I wasn't in a hurry after all. I thought the price was quite reasonable considering all the work that was required. Claude was reassuring and Anastasia kept in touch with me throughout the month to update me on the progress. I would recommend The Beadery to anyone looking to get their important items fixed. I definitely found the right place for my jewelry needs! read more

Claude was very supportive and generous of his time when I came in 20 mins til closing! I was looking to purchase small, quality gemstones at wholesale and he was pleased to show me a range of what he had. Not having loads of cash to make a huge purchase, he let me hand pick from his collection of loose precious stones (rubies, emeralds, sapphire, moonstone) which was very kind! He also showed me a few tricks as a jeweler himself. His time and willingness to support me as a new maker made me feel at ease and I gratefully appreciate the prices he afforded me for the select precious stones. I highly recommend going back if you had a sub-par experience in the past, he will make it worth your while! read more

Rating Yay! I'm a fan. A very unique store with a great vibe. The owner, Claude, has a fabulous knowledge of his gemstones and kindly showed me the various types of aquamarine featured inside the magical glass cases. There is something mystical about this place, and I will definitely be back. Claude had noticed I was admiring the various pieces of aquamarine (my birth stone) and kindly gifted me a piece of aquamarine before I left. We had a great chat about precious stones, gems, Europe, and the healing power of crystals, and though I did not make a purchase today, I'll head back to have a ring of mine fixed, as this location also does repairs! Glad I stopped by! =) -Bianca read more

I had an incredible experience at The Beadery. Contrary to what others have said here, the customer service is amazing. I'm just making my way into the world of jewelry-making and Anastasia and Claude were simply delightful and exceptionally skilled at their craft. I took a class with The Beadery and was very pleased with the results. Anastasia took the time to answer all of my questions and is extremely patient, friendly, and knowledgeable. Claude also showed me a few things and was just as warm-hearted and generous. I would highly recommend this place for classes, unique beads and supplies. i will definitely return back! Thanks Claude & Anastasia! read more

My go-to place for quality jewelry supplies. I first walked into The Beadery based on the good reviews I read and out of all the jewelry supply stores in the area, I have chosen to go back to The Beadery because of the great service and the quality of their items. Anastasia is friendly, knowledgeable and has taken the time to make the right recommendations. I've call a couple times before arriving to ask a few questions about items I am looking for (supplies, gemstones etc) and she's taken the time to put aside some beautiful gemstones that would fit the budget of my daughter's budding jewelry business. Definitely impressed with the customer service. read more

What a place! My journey started with a broken pair of beaded sandals, my favourite and truly treasured. I lost the beads and vowed to replace them. I looked up a couple of bead shops in the Queen St. W. area and found The Beadery. They had exactly what I was looking for and couldn't help but be enthralled with the treasures of beads and jewellery. Owner Claude is a charm himself and took the time to show me his creations. I bought a ring, a fabulous ring that is truly one of a kind and HE FIXED MY SANDALS!!!! Will definetely be back, if not but to enjoy the eye candy alone. Merci Claude! read more

Honestly speaking, my experience with this store is rather interesting, and in a very good way. I came to the Beadery a couple of days ago and asked if they could stamp a bracelet for me. Unfortunately, the material they had was not for my budget. However, the gentleman also told me I could bring my own material and then he will see what can be done. So the next day I did. And here was a GREAT SURPRISE for me (he must have remembered that was on a budget), he did it for FREE! He was supposed to close his shop at 6 pm but stayed 20 min later to do it for me :) I really-really appreciate that! read more

I first went into The Beadery to see about repairing a Marc Jabobs watch that kept stopping despite the battery being at full capacity. The owner was very helpful and cleaned the battery connection for me without charging anything. I went back a second time with three rings that needed to be resized. One of them tarnished during the process as it apparently wasn't solid sterling silver as I was led to believe. Again, the owner recoated it in sterling silver for me at no charge. Very nice man! I would highly recommend his service. read more

I just had the most beautiful experience with Claude at The Beadery. I'm from out of town, exploring the city, and I stubbled on this gem location. I was immediately drawn to the rings in the window and asked to see more from that jeweler... little did I know I'd be meeting him! He told me all of his designs can be adjusted to any size... but I found a piece that fit perfectly. After choosing my ring he cleaned it and even showed me how he makes his pieces. Truly Claude is so so talented, and his pieces are one of a kind. read more

I visited the Beadery when I was in Toronto on Labour Day weekend. I lived in Toronto for 12 years and remember this store from back then. Now I'm from London, Ontario where we don't have any store comparable. I found exactly what I was looking for - stones to set into wood carvings. The owner was helpful and gracious. I really appreciated his excellent service. I will visit the Beadery again when I'm in town, and maybe someday I will take the beading and wire-working workshop! read more

I was on a mission to get assistance to rebead a strand of a glass beaded bracelet. I wandered into The Beadery because the sign outside said jewelry repair. I started to talk to Anastasia and Claude. Lovely people who were able to help me out. They provided me with the elastic I needed as well as a few extra beads to complement the bracelet. I have reassembled the bracelet and send a shout out of thanks to Claude. A Salt of the Earth type of business owner who cares. read more

I brought in my hawk pendant to be fixed. The loop holding it to my chain broke twice and was replaced by other jewellery stores twice already. It held a lot of sentimental meaning to me and I was constantly afraid of losing it. The Beadery created a sturdy loop for it and now I am confident it won't fall off my chain again. Their service was professional, kind, friendly and very fast. I love their energy! Just good people, who are good at what they do. Thank you :) read more

LOVE The Beadery! I took a class with some girlfriends last weekend and the instructor, Rachel was fantastic. She was hilarious and made us all feel very comfortable. She was also able to help us make some really gorgeous pieces in our price range! The owner was also there and he was helpful, friendly and funny himself. Beautiful shop, and high quality beads (from diamonds and garnets to wooden coconut beads). Awesome experience!! read more