Get to know the people at your local bead or jewelry shop, because they can be helpful resources when you’re deciding which supplies you’ll need for a project. This list is a mix of our local favorites and online resources for shopping from home.
Dreamtime Creations
This online destination has a range of rhinestones and crystals to add sparkle to your project.
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
This online shop is home to an overwhelming assortment of beads and findings in tons of plating options. They offer discounted pricing when you’re stocking up on supplies.
Metalliferous
This site is our go-to source for brass stampings, machined parts, wire, rod, and most things metal.
Ohio Beads
This online shop offers a large variety of harder-to-find chains and findings in an assortment of plating colors and finishes.
Ornamentea
This North Carolina favorite was the first place we ever shopped for jewelry supplies. Their online shop has a wonderful selection of findings and filigree components.
Rio Grande
Rio is the place to go for sterling silver and gold metal components as well as semiprecious stones.
Shipwreck Beads
Shipwreck has a huge selection of bead strands, findings, and components with competitive prices.
Toho Shoji
Toho is the place to go for chic components and hard-to-find chains in any plating.
Wonder Sources
If you’re looking for really special semiprecious stones, this is the spot. You’ll find agate, pyrite, and amethyst sourced from all over the world.
These are our go-to spots for everyday essentials like paint, ribbon, and fabric.
This fabric mecca stocks hard-to-find fabric, including printed chiffon, lace, and poplin.
Dick Blick
From paint to polymer clay supplies, this is our one-stop shop. We especially love their professional-quality spray paint for quick color fixes.
Pacific Trimming
We shop this trim store for its amazing selection of buttons, studs, and metal trimmings.
Purl SoHo
While Purl is known as a knitting store, we often stop by for a dose of inspiration, sewing supplies, and fabric.
Studs and Spikes
The name says it all. This online shop is the place to go for studs and spikes in any size or shape.
The listed vintage shops and shows carry much more than jewelry and supplies. They provide visual inspiration for designing your own projects.
Brimfield Antique Show
This small New England town in the United States turns into an enormous antique show for one week every May, June, and September.
eBay
We love eBay for everything from clip-on earrings to vintage crystal jewelry. With the right keyword search, you can find vintage pieces for a steal. Make sure to set up watch lists for future projects.
Etsy
In addition to vintage jewelry, Etsy has a selection of vintage beads and findings that are worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for just a few of something.
Pippin Vintage Jewelry
This tiny jewel box of a shop is home to an ever-changing assortment of affordable vintage custom jewelry and jewelry parts that are perfect for turning into statement jewelry.
Rose Bowl Flea Market
This is arguably the best flea market in California. It’s held the second Sunday of every month, rain or shine, all year round.
www.rgcshows.com/rosebowl.aspx
Tinsel Trading Company
This New York shop and online store stocks fancy vintage trims, tassels, and ephemera.
These books and online destinations top our list of references for technical information and inspiration.
Garance Doré
Her infectious take on fashion and life is a daily read in our studio. Her blog includes illustrations, video, and hilarious commentary on the fashion world at large. www.garancedore.fr/en
The bible of runway fashion, this website has an encyclopedic collection of images from practically every runway show. Use the details tab available on popular shows for high-res images of the jewelry from the show.
Tommy Ton
This street photographer captures the best off-the-catwalk looks. We use his site to check out his close-up shots of accessories real girls are wearing and how they’re styling it.
The Complete Metalsmith: An Illustrated Handbook
by Tim McCreight
This comprehensive guide to metalsmithing has easy-to-follow illustrations for beginners and can be used as a complete reference for more experienced makers.
Fashion Jewelry: The Collection of Barbara Berger
by Harrice Simons Miller
This book accompanied the exhibition of the same name at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. It contains images of extravagant fashion and costume jewelry pieces that celebrate craftsmanship as well as creativity.
Jewelry: From Antiquity to the Present
by Clare Phillips
This survey of jewelry from the Western world often inspires us to use new-to-us silhouettes and techniques. Phillips highlights both craftsman-made jewelry and designer pieces.
Jewels by JAR
by Adrian Sassoon
JAR, or Joel Arthur Rosenthal, is the eccentric Willy Wonka of the jewelry world. His stunning pieces are some of the most sought after in the world.
The Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing
by Erhard Brepohl and Tim McCreight
We purchased this book on our first day at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Its technical explanations and diagrams are often helpful for problem solving.
The auction catalogs from fine jewelry auctions can be found online as well as at used bookstores or eBay for as little as a few dollars. Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Important Jewels auctions are the ones to look for when you’re browsing or if you’ve ever wondered what a 50-karat pink diamond looks like.