Lima Beads
Lima Beads is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2004 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, selling gemstone beads, Czech glass, metal beads, seed beads, chain, findings, and jewelry-making supplies to hobbyist beaders, jewelry makers, and craft educators globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersAnn Arbor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Lima Beads does
Lima Beads is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2004 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company sells an extensive catalog of beads, jewelry-making supplies, and craft materials — including gemstone beads, Czech glass, metal beads (brass, copper, silver, stainless steel, pewter, rose gold), seed beads (TOHO and Miyuki), lampwork glass, ceramic and porcelain, cloisonné and enamel, chain, findings, charms, and general jewelry-making supplies — through its own website at limabeads.com. Supporting the retail catalog is content infrastructure consisting of a customer-submitted Project Gallery and a Tips & Techniques tutorial library, designed to drive design inspiration and repeat purchase behavior. The company carries curated assortments from recognized brand partners including TierraCast, Vintaj, Nunn Design, Mykonos, Amoracast, TOHO, and Miyuki.
The business operates on a unit-pricing model with products ranging from approximately $0.25 to $21.60 per item and tiered volume discounts on most SKUs. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time retail product sales, supplemented by digital gift certificates representing deferred revenue. There is no subscription tier, no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed wholesale or B2B channel. New products are introduced on a weekly cadence (every Thursday), and promotional mechanics include weekly 'Lima Lunch Specials' (Tuesdays), a 'Big Green Bead Machine' flash discount, and a Last Chance clearance section. Marketing relies on a 2–3-email-per-week newsletter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for community engagement.
The primary customer segment is hobbyist beaders and jewelry makers — both beginners and experienced crafters producing handmade pieces for personal use or small-scale resale — with a secondary segment of craft educators and instructors who need bulk or specific materials for teaching. Distribution is global via direct shipment, though the customer base skews toward North America. The company is privately held with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent-company ownership, and no management team or leadership details are publicly available.
Lima Beads firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lima Beads
- Legal name
- Lima Beads
- Website
- https://limabeads.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lima Beads is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2004 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, selling gemstone beads, Czech glass, metal beads, seed beads, chain, findings, and jewelry-making supplies to hobbyist beaders, jewelry makers, and craft educators globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lima Beads industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Jewelry-Making Supplies & Beads
- NAICS
- Jewelry Retailers (45831)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail (CRALACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Charm & Personalized Fashion Jewelry (Nameplates/Initials/Photo) (CRAKABAE), Fine Jewelry Components (Chains, Settings, Findings) (CRAKAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Lima Beads is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ann Arbor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lima Beads business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: One-time product sales of beads, jewelry findings, chain, charms, and craft supplies. Products are sold individually at stated prices with volume discounts available for larger quantities.
- Gift Certificates: Digital gift certificates sold to customers for future purchases, representing deferred revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard per-unit pricing with volume discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Lima Beads product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lima Beads is an online bead and jewelry-making supplies retailer that curates and sells gemstone beads, Czech glass beads, metal beads, seed beads, lampwork glass, ceramic and porcelain beads, cloisonné beads, chain, findings, charms, pendants, and general jewelry-making supplies directly to consumers through limabeads.com. It complements product sales with volume-based tiered pricing, a customer project gallery, and a tips and techniques educational library. The company also sells digital gift certificates for future purchases.
Product overview
Lima Beads operates as an e-commerce platform offering an extensive portfolio of beads, jewelry-making supplies, and craft materials. The core product categories include gemstones, Czech glass, metal beads, seed beads (TOHO and Miyuki brands), lampwork glass, ceramic and porcelain, cloisonne, chain, findings, charms, and general supplies. The company serves jewelry makers and crafters with both individual components and branded products from partners like TierraCast, Vintaj, and Nunn Design. Supporting services include a Project Gallery featuring customer-submitted designs with step-by-step instructions and Tips & Techniques tutorials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gemstone Beads Natural gemstone beads organized by stone, shape, size, color, and metaphysical meaning categories for handmade jewelry makers.
- Czech Glass Beads Czech glass beads available by color, shape, and size with various finishes including iris, AB, picasso, and metallic.
- Metal Beads Metal beads in brass, copper, gold, pewter, rose gold, silver, rhodium, stainless steel, and Vintaj natural brass; available by metal type and style including alphabet, animal, botanical, celestial, filigree, and hammered.
- Seed Beads (TOHO and Miyuki) Japanese-made seed beads from TOHO (consistent quality, large hole sizes, opaque/metallic/specialty finishes) and Miyuki (Delicas, rocailles, and various shapes for precision beading).
- Chain Jewelry chain in silver, rhodium, gold, stainless steel, brass, copper, crystal, aluminum, gunmetal, black, rose gold, sterling silver, rhinestone, gold filled, embellished, and Vintaj natural brass varieties.
- Findings Jewelry findings including clasps, earring findings, links and connectors, bails, caps and cones, crimps and covers, charm holders, eyepins, headpins, jump rings, multi-strand bars, and seed bead findings.
- Lampwork Glass Beads Handcrafted lampwork glass beads from artisans including Unicorne Beads and Grace Lampwork, featuring cloud beads, donuts, rondelles, lentils, and focal beads.
- Ceramic & Porcelain Beads Ceramic and porcelain beads including artist beads, Mykonos brand, and tumbled rondelles with various prints and finishes.
- Cloisonné & Enamel Beads Cloisonné beads with gold finish featuring intricate designs including lotus, daisy, butterfly, and floral patterns; includes decorative, puff, solid color, and tile bead varieties.
- Charms & Pendants Charms and pendants in metal, glass, gemstone, shell and pearl materials; includes acetate, cabochons, ceramic, crystal, felt, wood, rattan, cork, focal components, focal links, hand-woven, and tassels/fringed focals.
- Jewelry-Making Supplies Jewelry making supplies including stringing materials, cord, leather cord, craft and shaping wire, jewelry wire, tools, stamping blanks, adhesives, bead handling items, bezels and resin frames, coloring components, embellishments, holiday supplies, kits and patterns, riveting supplies, sealers and glazes, and wearable accessories.
- Digital Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates in standard denominations sold to customers for future purchases on the limabeads.com storefront.
Companies that use Lima Beads
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lima Beads technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Lima Beads partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lima Beads competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Etsy: Major online marketplace where many jewelry makers also purchase beads and supplies from third-party sellers. Competes for hobbyist search demand and serves as an alternative sourcing channel rather than a direct single-seller competitor.
- Michaels Companies: Largest US specialty arts and crafts retailer with physical stores and an e-commerce site carrying beads, findings, and jewelry-making supplies. Overlaps on hobbyist craft supplies but with much broader category mix.
- JOANN: National craft fabric and supplies retailer carrying bead assortments and jewelry-making materials alongside broader craft categories. Competes for the same hobbyist customer but with significantly wider assortment.
- Amazon Handmade: Amazon's artisan marketplace featuring bead and jewelry-making supplies from third-party sellers. Represents a structural competitive threat to independent DTC bead shops via Prime shipping and aggregated demand.
Direct peers
- Fire Mountain Gems: Largest US bead and jewelry supplies retailer operating online and via catalog. Directly comparable as a DTC e-commerce bead shop carrying gemstones, Czech glass, findings, and chain to hobbyist and professional jewelry makers.
- Artbeads: E-commerce bead retailer selling crystals, gemstones, glass, and findings to jewelry makers with free shipping promotions. Overlaps heavily with Lima Beads on product mix and hobbyist target market.
- Beadaholique: Online bead and jewelry supplies retailer offering a similar mix of gemstones, Czech glass, seed beads, findings, and tutorials. Directly competes for the same hobbyist beader customer with comparable product breadth and educational content.
- Fusion Beads: Online bead shop specializing in Czech glass, seed beads, and findings with frequent new arrivals and a designer gallery. Direct competitor with comparable curation strategy and hobbyist focus.
- Darice: Wholesale and retail craft supplier offering beads, findings, and jewelry-making components. Comparable product mix with overlap on Czech glass, metal beads, and findings for hobbyist and small-business customers.
- Beadshop.com: Specialty bead retailer carrying crystals, gemstones, and Czech glass with a designer gallery similar to Lima Beads' Project Gallery. Directly comparable in product curation and hobbyist segmentation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lima Beads social profiles
Digital presenceLima Beads financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lima Beads leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Lima Beads funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lima Beads M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lima Beads
What does Lima Beads do?
Lima Beads is an online bead and jewelry-making supplies retailer that curates and sells gemstone beads, Czech glass beads, metal beads, seed beads, lampwork glass, ceramic and porcelain beads, cloisonné beads, chain, findings, charms, pendants, and general jewelry-making supplies directly to consumers through limabeads.com. It complements product sales with volume-based tiered pricing, a customer project gallery, and a tips and techniques educational library. The company also sells digital gift certificates for future purchases.
Is Lima Beads a public or private company?
Lima Beads is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lima Beads founded?
Lima Beads was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lima Beads based?
Lima Beads is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lima Beads make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Certificates.
Who are Lima Beads's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Etsy, Michaels Companies, JOANN and Amazon Handmade. Direct peers are Fire Mountain Gems, Artbeads, Beadaholique, Fusion Beads, Darice and Beadshop.com.
Does Lima Beads have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lima Beads.
What industry is Lima Beads in?
Lima Beads's product category is Jewelry-Making Supplies & Beads. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALACAE, Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail, with a secondary code of CRAKABAE, Charm & Personalized Fashion Jewelry (Nameplates/Initials/Photo). Its NAICS code is 45831 and its SIC code is 5944.