Bead World

What Bead World does

Bead World Inc. is a privately-held specialty retailer of beads, gemstones, and jewelry-making supplies, operating two physical stores in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona, and a direct e-commerce storefront at beadworld.com built on the BigCommerce platform. The catalog spans 80+ gemstone varieties (Agate, Amethyst, Jade, Turquoise, etc.), Czech glass beads (including CzechMates and Fire Polish), Japanese Miyuki and Toho seed beads, Swarovski crystals, pearls, wood and shell beads, findings, chain, wire, stringing materials, tools, and DIY kits; the company also sells private-label lines under the Bead World Gems and Bead World Czech Seed Beads brands. Distribution spans in-store retail, an e-commerce site supporting 22 currencies and global shipping, and a wholesale channel for professional jewelers and artisans. Customer segments are individual DIY hobbyists (primary) and professional jewelers/artisans (secondary), with pricing on a per-unit basis ranging from roughly $0.35 to over $125 per item and frequent 30–40% promotional discounts.

Revenue is generated entirely through transactional one-time sales of physical inventory, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring-contract component. Marketing and customer acquisition are driven by email newsletters with promotional coupons, a multi-platform social presence (Instagram with 37.2K followers, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, X), a content/tutorial library authored in-house, and a 4.8-star Google reputation across 490+ reviews. The company is owner-operated (Karen, Owner), with no disclosed funding, no parent company, no M&A activity, and no public listing. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, proprietary technology beyond the standard BigCommerce CMS, or institutional technology partnerships; the principal intangible assets are brand reputation, assortment breadth, private-label sub-brands, and an in-house content library.

Name

Bead World

Legal name

Bead World Inc.

Website

https://beadworld.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bead World is a privately-held specialty retailer of beads, gemstones, and jewelry-making supplies, operating two retail stores in Arizona plus a multi-currency BigCommerce e-commerce site serving DIY hobbyists and professional jewelers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewelry Making Supplies Retail

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944)

akta.pro primary industry

Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail (CRALACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beading & Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail (CRALADAK)

Keywords

• Bead supplies
• Jewelry making
• Gemstone beads
• Czech glass beads
• DIY jewelry kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail and E-commerce Sales: Bead World generates revenue through direct sales of beads, jewelry-making supplies, and craft materials via two physical retail locations in Arizona (Phoenix and Scottsdale) and an e-commerce website. Products include gemstones, Czech glass beads, ceramic beads, charms, pendants, findings, chain, kits, leather, stringing materials, tools, and wire. Revenue is generated through individual product transactions with pricing ranging from under $1 to over $100 per item.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bead World is a specialty retailer of beads and jewelry-making supplies, operating two physical retail stores in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, and an e-commerce website at beadworld.com. The company sells gemstones, Czech glass beads, ceramic beads, charms, pendants, findings, chain, kits, leather, stringing materials, tools, and wire to hobbyists and professional jewelers, with in-house private-label lines (Bead World Gems and Bead World Czech Seed Beads). Revenue is generated through direct individual product transactions supplemented by wholesale purchasing for businesses.

Product overview

Bead World is an e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailer specializing in beads and jewelry-making supplies. The company operates two physical store locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, and a comprehensive online store built on the BigCommerce platform. The product portfolio centers on beads across diverse materials including gemstones (offering over 80 varieties such as Agate, Amethyst, Jade, Turquoise), Czech glass beads (including CzechMates and Fire Polish lines), shell beads, wood beads, and Swarovski crystals. Complementary categories include charms and pendants, jewelry findings and clasps, seed beads (Japanese Miyuki and Toho brands), pearls, chain and wire in precious metals, stringing materials, tools, leather, and DIY kits. The company also sells private-label products under the Bead World Gems and Bead World Czech Seed Beads brands. The business model combines retail e-commerce with physical retail locations offering classes and tutorials for jewelry making.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bead World Gems: House brand gemstone products sold at the store.
• Bead World Czech Seed Beads

Products and services

• Bead World Gems Bead World's private-label line of gemstone beads and jewelry-making supplies, sold through the company's retail stores and online storefront.
• Bead World Czech Seed Beads Bead World's private-label Czech seed beads for jewelry making and beading projects, sold through the company's retail stores and online storefront.
• Gemstone Beads Natural and polished gemstone beads including Agate, Amazonite, Amber, Amethyst, Jade, Turquoise, and over 80 other varieties, sold as strands and individual stones for jewelry making.
• Czech Glass Beads Traditional Czech glass beads including Bugle Beads, Fire Polish, pressed Czech glass, and CzechMates 2-hole bead systems for jewelry making and bead weaving.
• Swarovski Crystals Austrian crystal beads and flatbacks in bicones, rounds, and individual stones, sold for jewelry making and embellishment.
• Seed Beads Japanese Miyuki and Toho seed beads plus Czech glass seed beads in various sizes, used for bead weaving and detailed jewelry designs.
• Pearls Freshwater and saltwater pearls including Edison pearls and individual pearl strands for jewelry making.
• DIY Jewelry Making Kits DIY jewelry making kits for bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, and holiday projects, sold to hobbyists and crafters.
• Charms & Pendants Metal, gemstone, glass, and enamel charms and pendants including Amoracast branded findings, sold to jewelry makers.
• Findings & Essentials Jewelry-making components including clasps, toggles, bails, crimps, earring wires, jump rings, and head pins, sold as essential hardware for jewelry projects.
• Stringing Materials & Wire Cording, wire, chain, and leather including elastic, Fireline, nylon, silk cord, Soft Flex, macrame cord, 14K Gold Filled, Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel chain, and braided or round leather cord.
• Jewelry-Making Tools Jewelry-making tools including cutters, pliers, hammers, needles, beading tools, and work surfaces, sold to hobbyists and professional jewelers.
• Wood and Shell Beads Natural wood beads (Cheese Wood, Palm Wood, Ebony, Rose Wood, Rudraksha, Pucalet, carved animal designs) and shell-based beads (Mother of Pearl, Abalone, Troca Shell, Conch, Nautilus, shell pearls) for jewelry making.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fire Mountain Gems: One of the largest online retailers of beads, gemstones, and jewelry-making supplies in the US. Directly comparable to Bead World in product category (gemstones, Czech glass, findings, tools) and DTC e-commerce model, though operating at substantially greater scale.
• Beadaholique: Online specialty retailer of beads, crystals, and jewelry-making supplies with tutorial content and frequent promotions. Direct competitor to Bead World in the DTC bead e-commerce space, targeting the same DIY jewelry-maker and hobbyist customer base.
• Artbeads: Online bead retailer offering gemstones, Swarovski crystals, seed beads, and findings. Directly comparable assortment and customer (hobbyist jewelry makers), competing for the same search and social traffic as Bead World.
• Fusion Beads: Online bead and jewelry-making supply retailer with curated kits and project-based content. Similar go-to-market approach to Bead World, combining e-commerce with tutorial content aimed at DIY jewelry makers.
• Rio Grande: Wholesale and retail supplier of jewelry-making supplies including beads, findings, chain, and tools. Comparable product mix to Bead World, with strong overlap in findings, gemstones, and jewelry components across hobbyist and professional segments.
• Pandahall: Global online retailer of beads, charms, and jewelry-making supplies operating out of China with multi-currency international shipping. Comparable DTC e-commerce model and broad assortment to Bead World, targeting the same DIY jewelry-maker demographic worldwide.

Broad incumbents

• Michaels: Large North American specialty retailer of arts, crafts, and hobby supplies including a beads and jewelry-making assortment. Broad incumbent whose bead category overlaps with Bead World's, but operates a much wider craft portfolio across hundreds of stores.
• JOANN: Major US fabric and craft retailer carrying beads, jewelry findings, and DIY kits alongside sewing and needlework. Broad incumbent competing for the same hobbyist customer as Bead World, but with a much larger store footprint and broader category mix.
• Hobby Lobby: Large US arts-and-crafts and home décor retailer with a bead and jewelry-making assortment in most of its stores. Broad incumbent with overlapping category presence but a substantially larger and more diversified merchandise mix than Bead World.

Others

• Etsy: Online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods including finished handmade jewelry, bead strands, and craft supplies from independent sellers. Not a direct merchandiser, but a competing channel for Bead World's target customer and a venue where many DIY jewelry makers both buy supplies and sell finished pieces.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/beadworldinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClqAtz2hEYozBRpmFipmBdQ?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/beadworld/?epa=SEARCH_BOX
• Instagraminstagram.com/beadworldinc/?hl=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/beadworldinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bead World