Bangles & Beads

The terrible reviews are true. This place should be fined for their horrendous customer service, if it was a restaurant I would report them.
Creative people Beware this place is full of shiny pretty things that you want to touch and explore. The employee are more like security guards.
The constant pushing of baskets and taking my bead stands as I set them down to pick colors. Ive spent hundreds of dollars at this place and every time I walk out I remember why it takes years for me to go back in. I am always extra careful with what I touch and pick up but it doesn’t seem to matter because the entire time I am shopping I feel as though I am a shady criminal.
I will never go back to this store & You shouldn’t either.
No one should feel like that when they are supporting a local business.
The owner and her employees should be ashamed for this behavior

I’m giving one star solely for the selection of beads. The people who work here should be ashamed of themselves. I have been in on one or two occasions before, dropping a few hundred bucks on beads for my business. Today I went in with an exchange and was told that because I didn’t have the receipt I couldn’t exchange. So I said fine, and offered to let the cashier hold onto my previously purchased items until I was ready to leave (I decided to browse a bit further) Now I came in with nothing but my keys and a debit card. No big purse or jacket, and with the little girl I nanny. The owner came out to give me an attitude about why my items couldn’t be exchanged, and then proceeded to follow me around the store like I was guilty of something. The cashier handed me a tray for my things, but because I only had a couple single small beads in my hand, i didn’t think it warranted use of a huge tray or basket, so I told her «no thanks” – Well the owner shoved one back in my face and told me that it was her store policy and that if I didn’t like it I could take my business elsewhere. I told her that it was ridiculous that she was following for no reason, to which she proceeded to tell me to leave. If you are going to treat your PAYING costumers like thieves and have not the slightest shred of people skills then you shouldn’t be running a business! Totally disgusted with the women I encountered here today. The owner is totally unprofessional. Don’t waste your time shopping here. Small businesses like this shouldn’t be in business if you can’t treat your costumers with respect and a smile.

Follow up:
The owner called herself banning me from the store based on THIS review .
She told me I should have talked to her about it. I responded that we had already HAD this conversation before and it did not make a difference. I told her I had never stolen anything from her or anywhere before so I didn’t appreciate the treatment.
She responded «Well I don’t know that»! .
She then went further to say that she did not «realize it was me» when she delivered such treatment (it should not have mattered who it was). Then she said my friend and I kept putting our hands in our pockets getting our phones out (which apparently made her suspicious).
She put the icing on the cake & claimed that I never liked her and I never talked to her or spoke (Which was false). I then felt like I was talking to a child in explaining that this was business. So this should be a non factor. She seems to think she is running a social club.
Bottom line… do not go here if you intend to take a bag, move, breathe, put your hands in your pockets, touch anything etc.
She was upset with me for insinuating she was racist … but if it acts like a duck, or quacks like a duck it’s a duck!
I still feel the exact same way and our last conversation solidified how I felt .
I told her if she never expects to take a loss she doesn’t need to have a brick and mortar business … unfortunately some level of loss is an inevitable part of having a store but it does not benefit her to treat paying customers as if they are thieves.
Jasmine M.
Clothing & Accessory Designer

Two stars for their good selection of beads and no stars for the level of professionalism I experienced on three visits over two years. The first time I was treated like it was an imposition that I should disturb their private conversations. The second time I was treated like I was about to steal something. Hovering over me, following me around but not offering any assistance. I must admit I was wearing walking boots etc. since I had just done a three-​hour hike at the James. I felt uncomfortable to say the least. I went back a third time this time I happened to be dressed «nicely» and their treatment of me was marginally better but I saw others who got the same brusqueness and offensive surveillance I had previously experienced. I am white in my fifties, so race has nothing to do with it, but I’m sure if I were black I would have put it down to that as well.
Every time I went I told myself that this is not a place that needs to receive my custom but … the pull of the beads got the better of me. I have since found other local alternatives and have also shopped online for beads and findings. Not as much fun as spending 2 — 3 hours looking and touching beads in person, however, at Bangles and Beads it wasn’t that much fun either.

agree with another Unilocal post Jasmine M — same thing happened to me this past Sunday– I was told to zip up my bag, my bag had no zipper, so I was told put it on my shoulder, when I said it was on my shoulder but was heavy when I stooped down to looked at an item on a lower shelf so I had step it on the floor. The woman, Owner I would guess, grabbed for my bag, and said she would put it behind the counter. Really? if you don’t trust me, why am I going to trust you to take my bag??? Never mind, I left instead of making a purchase. Will NEVER step foot in Bangles & Beads.

Talk about a sensory overload! Step into Bangles and Beads and you’ll be overwhelmed by the massive array of gemstones, crystals, pendants, and beads representing all colors of the rainbow.
This amazing gem of a store in the heart of Carytown is somewhat deceiving from the outside. You may think it’s a small store filled with beads, but the shop actually goes back pretty far and stocks every bead you can imagine as well as any tool or finding you may need! This is absolutely a jewelry-maker’s paradise. I can spend hours in the shop and still feel like I need more time. There’s always more than one sales associate on hand to answer your jewelry questions and provide recommendations if you’re looking for another opinion. After all, sometimes two creative minds are better than one!
The shop also provides shallow baskets for customers to carry their intended purchases– I find this super helpful because it allows you to lay the strands next to one another and conceptualize different designs while you sort through the bead displays. I rarely enter the store with a predetermined design in mind, so anything that makes it easier to visualize bead combinations gets props from me!

I love this place but hate the way the girls behind the counter stare everyone down. They have a great selection of beads and although they seem significantly higher priced, I keep going back for the unusual finds. I make an insane amount of jewelry and sell it at my local boutique, a lot of my designs have pieces from here. Over the last few years it seems they are getting to be a bit better about how they treat their customers, so it seems it may be worth giving them a second chance if you had a hard time with them in the past.

LOTS of beads here. And my oh my, a great selection of seed beads! They had some beautiful colors that I can’t find in Fredericksburg and perhaps even a shop I went to in DC. I actually found a color that I have not found anywhere else. I’m afraid to find it online because the color is never true until I see it in person. Anyway, I think it was even .50 cents cheaper than when I bought this color at a bead show in Richmond.
Customer service was satisfactory. I had two chains cut and I didn’t really have to seek anyone to get them cut. One of the employees asked me when I was looking at the chains. I think they also have some sort of information desk in the back. I saw customers walking up to the counter to ask questions.
Prices were typical and what I expected. Not cheap but not extremely expensive.

One of Richmond’s special gems! This place is totally a girlie girl’s DREAM! I have been shopping here for years and it’s like a totally new dreamland to explore every time!
They have the most beautiful stones around and I’m talking racks upon racks of the stuff. Somehow, in such a tiny store, they manage to have a HUGE selection and it’s all well-​organized in a very aesthetically pleasing manner. The customer service is always great. The girls are always nice and helpful as well as knowledgeable. Hands down, this place has THE BEST pendants around! I have made some killer necklaces from their selection. Tons and tons of natural stones. It’s pricey, yes, but it’s real stones and very high quality, so once you realize that, it’s actually fairly priced. It will cost you tons to make jewelry to sell with this stuff, but people will absolutely LOVE it! They have a website, but it doesn’t even have half of what the store does.
If you have a visitor who is a total girlie girl, take her here, even if you haven’t been here yourself ;P
And yes, you will need a LOT of time to shop in here

Again, completely agree with Sonya — this store is a must stop whenever I visit Richmond. Give yourself a lot of time to shop — some of the best gems I have seen for sale not at a trade show!

This store is amazing. Huge selection. This place even has a website you can order from.