Bead Store Online

Are there any online retailers where I can buy loose gemstones individually as opposed to strands?

I'm just beginning to make jewelry. I don't need entire strands, or to buy in bulk. Can I only do this physically at a beading supply store, or are there places online that will sell them one by one?

Public Comments

1. Not being in the field, but observing from the sidelines as people make beads in glass not far from my hobby of glass blowing and having wandered into bead stores with my sister and looking for lapidary supplies, are you really looking for gem stones - which I think of as ruby, sapphire, emerald, and diamond, which I believe are rarely drilled for bead work - or are you actually looking for precious and semi-precious stone like amber, jade, obsidian, which are sold at lots of places like http://www.agrainofsand.com/Beads-Semi-Precious-Gemstone-Beads-25.html $68 each In looking at some of the lower cost stones, I see what you mean by strands http://www.agrainofsand.com/Beads-Chalcedony-Beads-113.html but the 25mm coins on a 16 inch strand for $38 means you are getting 16 of them (25mm is almost exactly 1 inch) at about $2.38 each. Are you wanting to buy only 4 at $3 or 4 each? I think the answer is going to be that you can't do it online-the handling unit is the strand.
2. yes there are some sites you can buy gemstones by the piece. here are a few. http://www.jewelrytelevision.com/index.aspx?tid=9642&cm_sp=ISP1430024&cm_re=IRE1430024&up=UP1430024 http://www.tjc.tv/index.php?file=productlist&article_type=GemStone http://www.pehnec.com/index.htm?cd=MyCampaign&OVRAW=loose%20gemstones&OVKEY=loose%20gem%20stone&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=2172500011&OVKWID=4205000511 http://www.justgemstones.com/ http://www.gemandgemstone.com/ those should be some to get you started. good luck.
3. Not sure if it will help but try Kandras beads.com Never hurts to ask.
4. The online retailer I use when I do not want to buy whole strands of beads or gemstones is www.artbeads.com . They do not require a minimum amount to be ordered (some sites require that you order a minimum of $25 or $50 worth of product or they won't even take your order!), shipping is free within the U.S., and you can buy beads/gemstones/etc as few as one at a time! Of course, they do offer discounts for bigger volume orders, but you definitely CAN buy their items individually. I have purchased from them and was very satisfied with them and their products.
5. www.gypsyspiritstudio.etsy.com