Shipwreck Beads

What Shipwreck Beads does

Shipwreck Beads is a privately held, US-based specialty retailer of beads, jewelry findings, stringing materials, tools, and related craft supplies, founded in 1969 and headquartered in Lacey, Washington. The company sells over 24,000 SKUs spanning seed beads (Czech, Miyuki, vintage), fire polished beads, Czech glass, Preciosa crystal, lampwork, acrylic, bone and horn, freshwater pearls, gemstones, shell, wood, and metal beads, plus findings, pendants and charms, stringing materials, kits, finished jewelry, gift cards, and books. It serves primarily hobbyist and professional jewelry makers purchasing at unit-level pricing.

The business operates a dual-channel model: a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce site serving the US and Canada with multiple shipping speed tiers and free shipping over $75, alongside a 22,000 sq. ft. physical showroom in Lacey, WA that functions as both a retail space and a venue for in-person beading classes. The company employs between 11 and 50 people. Marketing is built around a multi-channel content engine — a blog with tutorials and trend pieces, active Facebook/YouTube/Instagram accounts, and a weekly email newsletter featuring gift card drawings — which supports customer acquisition and retention in a niche, community-driven category.

The revenue model is straightforward transactional retail, with sales generated one order at a time across a long tail of individual and small-business buyers. No public funding, M&A, parent company, or enterprise customer relationships are disclosed in the available data, and revenue figures are not publicly reported. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or third-party platform integrations beyond standard e-commerce tooling.

Name

Shipwreck Beads

Legal name

Shipwreck Beads

Website

https://shipwreckbeads.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shipwreck Beads is a US-based, privately held specialty retailer founded in 1969, selling over 24,000 bead, finding, and jewelry-making SKUs to hobbyist and professional jewelry makers through a Shopify e-commerce site, a 22,000 sq. ft. showroom in Lacey, WA, and in-person beading classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bead and Jewelry-Making Supplies Retail

NAICS

Jewelry Retailers (458310), Jewelry Retailers (45831), 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 retail
• Jewelry making supplies
• Findings and components
• Seed beads
• Craft retail store

Headquarters

HQ city

Lacey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bead and Jewelry Supply Sales: Shipwreck Beads generates revenue through the sale of beads, jewelry findings, stringing materials, tools, and crafting supplies. Products are sold at unit prices with various quantities, and customers can purchase finished jewelry items as well as raw materials for DIY projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shipwreck Beads sells beads, jewelry findings, stringing materials, pendants, charms, beading tools, kits, gift cards, and related jewelry-making supplies across 15+ categories totaling more than 24,000 SKUs. Distribution is through a Shopify-powered e-commerce site and a 22,000 sq. ft. retail showroom in the United States, supplemented by paid in-person beading classes.

Product overview

Shipwreck Beads is an e-commerce bead and jewelry supplies retailer offering over 24,000 items across multiple categories. The product portfolio centers on beads (including Seed Beads, Fire Polished Beads, Czech Glass Beads, Preciosa Crystal Beads, Lampwork Beads, Acrylic Beads, Bone & Horn Beads, Freshwater Pearls, Gemstone Beads, Shell Beads, Wood Beads, India Beads, Chinese Glass Beads, Metal Beads, and UV/Blacklight Reactive Beads) complemented by Findings (clasps, pins, wires, settings), Pendants and Charms, Stringing Materials, and general Jewelry Making Supplies. The company also offers Bead Kits, Gift Cards, and Beading Classes. Operating both online and from a 22,000 sq. ft. showroom, Shipwreck Beads serves hobbyists and professional jewelers with products from suppliers like Miyuki, Preciosa, and Czech Glass manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seed Beads Seed bead assortment including Czech Rocailles, Miyuki Japanese Seed Beads, True Cuts, Charlottes, Bugles, 3 Cuts, Vintage Seed Beads, and Seed Bead Bundles in various sizes and finishes. Targeted at jewelry makers and crafters.
• Fire Polished Beads Faceted glass beads in shapes including Faceted Rounds, Bicones/Diamond Shape, Assortments/Mixtures, Discs/Rings/Rondelles, Drops/Ovals, and Cathedral styles. For jewelry making.
• Czech Glass Beads Czech-pressed glass beads including Alphabet and Number Beads, Druks/Rounds, Crow Rollers, Flowers and Plant Shapes, and Discs/Rings/Rondelles. For jewelry making.
• Preciosa Crystal Beads Preciosa-branded crystal beads including Bicones, Crystal Mixtures, Faceted Rounds, Nacre Pearls, Drops/Ovals, and Rhinestone Beads. For jewelry making.
• Lampwork Beads Hand-made lampworked glass beads and charms, each individually crafted with shape and design variations. For jewelry makers seeking one-of-a-kind components.
• Acrylic Beads Plastic and acrylic beads including Alphabet/Number Beads, Rubber Beads, Polymer Heishi, Large Hole/Pony Beads, and Sew-on Acrylic Gems. For general craft and jewelry projects.
• Bead Kits Project kits including stretch band kits, rex lace clip kits, macrame kits, retro kits, and bead storage/organization sets. Bundled supplies aimed at beginners and project-driven crafters.
• Bone and Horn Beads Organic beads including hair pipe, carved Mala beads, horn beads, and natural bone pieces in various shapes and sizes. For jewelry and craft.
• Freshwater Pearls Cultured freshwater pearls in various shapes and sizes including seed pearls for accents, potato pearls, and finished necklaces/bracelets. For jewelry makers.
• Gemstone Beads Semi-precious gemstone beads and cabochons including turquoise, amber, amethyst, quartz, agate, jade, and many more varieties. For jewelry making.
• Shell Beads Natural shell beads including abalone, dentalium, cowry shells, mother of pearl, and heishi in various forms. For jewelry making.
• Findings Jewelry components including Bails and Pendant Loops, Bead Caps, Bezels and Settings, Clasps, Cord Ends and Cones, Crimps/Wire Guardians/Crimp Covers, Earring Parts, Head and Eye Pins, Jump and Split Rings, Link Connectors and Frames, Regalia and Bolo Supplies, Filigrees and Embellishments, Necklace/Bracelet/Ring Components, Tassels, Preciosa Crystal Stones, and Macrame components. For jewelry assembly.
• Pendants and Charms Decorative pendants and charms including shell pendants, metal charms, pewter charms, bone and horn pendants, and wood pendants. For jewelry making.
• Stringing Materials Wire and memory wire, jewelry chain, threads, cords, and other stringing materials for jewelry construction.
• Beading Supplies and Tools Beading needles, tools, bead mats, layout boards, mixed media supplies, organization and storage, gift and display accessories, crafting/home decor supplies, finished jewelry, and books. For jewelry makers and crafters.
• Gift Cards Shipwreck Beads gift cards available in various denominations for beading enthusiasts.
• Beading Classes Educational classes and workshops held at the showroom that teach various beading techniques and jewelry making skills. Targeted at hobbyists and beginners.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• JOANN: JOANN is a U.S. fabric and craft retailer with a substantial bead, jewelry-making, and notions assortment. It serves a similar DIY craft customer but as a generalist rather than a bead-specialist destination.
• Etsy: Etsy is a global online marketplace hosting thousands of bead, finding, and jewelry-supply sellers. It overlaps with Shipwreck Beads on selection breadth and hobbyist targeting but operates a marketplace model rather than a curated retail showroom.
• Hobby Lobby: Hobby Lobby is a large U.S. craft retail chain with a bead and jewelry-making section across hundreds of stores. It overlaps with Shipwreck Beads in bead assortments but does not specialize in the premium/hobbyist beading niche and lacks the dedicated showroom-and-classes experience.
• Michaels Companies: Michaels is the largest U.S. specialty arts, crafts, and hobby retailer, carrying bead kits, basic findings, and seasonal jewelry-making supplies. It competes broadly with Shipwreck Beads on entry-level crafters but does not match its premium Czech/Japanese bead depth.

Direct peers

• Fusion Beads: Fusion Beads operates an online bead and jewelry-making supply store plus a physical store in Seattle, offering classes and a curated selection comparable to Shipwreck Beads' showroom-plus-classes model.
• Beadaholique: Beadaholique is an online bead and jewelry-making supplies retailer with a strong YouTube tutorial channel, selling beads, findings, tools, and supplies. It competes directly with Shipwreck Beads in DTC hobbyist jewelry-making supplies and content-led marketing.
• Fire Mountain Gems: Fire Mountain Gems is one of the largest U.S. bead and jewelry-making supplies retailers, offering a comparable catalog of beads, findings, and stringing materials through both online and print channels. It is the closest direct competitor to Shipwreck Beads in assortment breadth, target hobbyist customer, and DTC model.
• Artbeads.com: Artbeads.com is a direct-to-consumer retailer offering seed beads, Czech glass, Swarovski elements, findings, and beading kits. It targets the same DIY jewelry-maker customer base and competes on assortment, price, and free-shipping promotions.
• Potomac Beads: Potomac Beads is an online-first retailer specializing in Czech glass, seed beads, and finished jewelry components, with a strong YouTube tutorial presence. It mirrors Shipwreck Beads' combination of premium bead assortment and content-driven hobbyist marketing.
• Lima Beads: Lima Beads is a direct-to-consumer bead retailer offering seed beads, crystals, gemstones, findings, and beading supplies online. It targets the same hobbyist jewelry-maker segment and overlaps heavily in product categories and supplier brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/shipwreckbeads
• Facebookfacebook.com/shipwreckbeads
• Instagraminstagram.com/shipwreckbeads
• Xx.com/Shipwreckbeads

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shipwreck Beads