I made my way into this store while on vacation to New York. I have been making jewelry as a hobby for awhile, and this popped up first when google-ing stores in NY.
I was blown away by the decor of the store and amazed by how much they had. While a few things seemed familiar from my local bead stores back home., the majority blew me away. The stones, antique trade beads, and unique artifacts were like nothing I had ever seen.
The staff was so helpful in informing me of their products - and what they didn't know off hand due to the huge selection - they tried hard to find out all they could. I left with a history of all my purchases.
This store is a gem for anyone - not just jewelry designers - for anyone looking for a unique treasure!

The name Beads of Paradise doesn't do justice to what's actually inside this inviting Union Square store. There are billions of beads, of courseâ€"of all kinds and from all over the ...

I just bought about 5 gifts for friends as thank yous for being in my wedding. I found amazing and beautiful things - and was able to find very different kinds of things for very ...

I'm a jewelry and bead fiend, so when I find a place I like, I like to spread the good word.
The staff there was certainly kind and helpful, but I thought they went out of their way to offer suggestions and tips, as well as showing me whatever I wanted. One girl even showed me how to clasp my own stuff which was teriffic. Watching what she was making for another customer gave me even better ideas to make my own.
I bought mostly beads, although they seem to have lots of antiques and fabrics and house stuff too. I saw some pretty unusual stuff that I haven't seen in other beads stores in a long time; trade beads and such that I don't always buy, but was surprised they could still get the really great stuff. I thought the prices were within reason for the high quality they had.
I bought mostly semi-P strands to make for myself and a couple gifts. Quality was alot higher that the midtown places, and I got alot of help picking and suggestions what to do. And they had all the supplies I needed right there.
I give it a good rating based on my own experience there, and felt very positive about the store and going back again. Even though it was very busy, I would say I still got alot of attention and no, they made no mistakes at checkout. It was a nice treat.

Just like what the other ratings say. Way over priced, and poor customer service. Too bad, not all clerks were like this in the store. I had to wait for my card payment to clear for 15 minutes only because the first clerk forgot to include the tax. The second clerk neglected to inform me what the new total $$ was, and swiped my card again. I patiently waited without making a 'fuss'. Then, they completely forgot to hand me what I waited and paid for. I definitely do not need to go there again.