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Rings & Things Bead Shows

Fall 2018 Bead Show & Sale

October 10, 2018

You are invited to our Fall Bead Show & Sale

Free admission! Share this invitation with creators, beaders and collectors – we have something for everyone!
Wholesale prices to the public. No tax ID required.
Arrive early to shop the best selection. Free on-site parking!
Bring a friend! Make a weekend trip to the Northwest.
Sign up now for the latest show info.
Follow us! Instagram rings_n_things & Facebook @bead.fans


Continue Reading…

Jewelry Designs featuring Tiny Gemstone Beads

April 11, 2018

We’re wild over strands of small gemstones! Tiny baby rounds, rondelles, cubes, briolettes, and teardrops – we love them all!

We’ve stocked up on small-sizes of gemstone beads for our Trunk Show & Gemstone Bead Sale this Friday & Saturday (4/13 & 4/14) at our Spokane, WA warehouse. Thought we’d share some pics of our favorite Trunk Show strands and the jewelry we have created using the tiny babies! Enjoy! Continue Reading…

Spring 2018 Bead Show & Gemstone Sale

April 10, 2018

You are invited to join us for our Spring 2018 Bead Show! Feel free to share this invitation and bring a friend, beader or collector — we have something for everyone!

Free admission to our 2018 Spring Show on April 13 & 14, 2018 from 11am-4pm each day. Arrive early to shop the best selection. Wholesale prices to the public, no tax ID required. Continue Reading…

Mark your calendars NOW for Fall 2012 Bead Shows!

July 16, 2012

Hi bloglandia! It is finally SUMMER. BEAUTIFUL SUMMER. And yet – what did I see at the store last night? That’s right: row after row of back to school supplies! While I found this to be a bit of  a bummer, it did serve as a good reminder that summer really will be over before we know it. That isn’t all bad news, though, for in September Rings & Things’ nationwide Bead Shows start up again!

road-show-bead-collage

Turquoise, labradorite and citrine are very popular gemstones at our shows. Plus, we sometimes have great deals on bracelets like the African bangles in the center pic.

The first show is September 9 in Minneapolis. For two months, the shows keep coming until November 7 in Missoula. So please take a moment to take a look at our Fall Schedule and see when the beads will be in a town near you! It is always so, so tragic when people post on Facebook about the bead show they just missed. Don’t let that happen to you! 🙂

Also, if you aren’t already familiar with her beautiful work, be sure to check out Heather Powers at HumbleBeads Blog – she did a great write up with photos about our 2012 spring show in Grand Rapids! ~ Cindy

Bead Shows!

February 7, 2012

“For beading fanatics, it’s like being a kid in a GIGANTIC candy store.”

bead-shows-rings-things

Prepare to be dazzled.

What’s that? Tasty beads at sweet prices? Yes indeed! Our 2012 Bead Shows are starting up again in just a few weeks! Our crew kicks off the season with our Spokane Bead Frenzy and then travels all across the continental United States with a truckload full of beads and other jewelry-making goodies. We actually do put out candy dishes to help customers maintain their energy as they peruse the thousands and thousands of beads available!

If you haven’t already, now is a great time to sign up to get an invite to our shows! Admission is free. Bring a friend to help you decide – or to help carry your haul! Plus, if you plan a week or two ahead, you can have a regular stock order delivered to the show for no charge. Translation: free shipping! Then, if you purchase more than $100 at the show, you’ll get a free shipping coupon for your next phone, catalog or online order. We visit most cities on our route 2x per year, so if you keep up this cycle long enough, you might not ever pay for shipping again!

Still not convinced? Here’s what some of your beady friends have to say about Rings & Things Bead Shows:

“For those of you near the cities below, check out this schedule to make sure you don’t miss it!!” http://abeadaday.blogspot.com/2011/09/rings-and-things-bead-tour.html

“So much goodness – I can’t begin to tell you.” http://justatish.blogspot.com/2011/06/rings-things-bead-tour-and-give-away.html

“Clients want something unique, handmade, not mass produced. That’s why these trips are worth it to me…” http://lexibeads.blogspot.com/2011/06/rings-and-things-bead-tour.html

“They set up a sea of beads and allow you to browse with no pressure to buy.” http://karenlandis.com/2011/05/19/rings-things-bead-tour-in-charlotte/

“When I walked into the room, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were tables lined up with strands and strands of beads.” http://trendygal.com/?p=77

“For beading fanatics, it’s like being a kid in a GIGANTIC candy store.” http://donnahuebsch.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/rings-things-bead-tour/

All the Bead Show details are right here. Have questions? Contact us here on the blog or via Twitter, Facebook or regular old email. Hope to see you there! ~ Cindy

Prepping for the big Anniversary Event (August 12-13)

August 10, 2011

Josh is busy organizing all of the discounted strands – our entire truck bay is full of them!

39 years…that’s how long Rings & Things has been in business! Tomorrow our Spokane showroom will be closed in order to finish preparations for this weekend’s big anniversary celebration. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the lovelies that will be available starting Friday – doors open at 10 am!

Fancy faceted tourmaline in shades of watermelon.

A great selection of turquoise!

Super sunny citrine.

Mini gemstone donuts – the perfect size for earrings and bracelets!

A basket full of bundled cloth bangles.

Event hours are from 10-4 both Friday and Saturday, and there are a variety of demos going on throughout our warehouse. The anniversary event is the perfect time to get your questions about metal stamping, metal clay, soldering and other jewelry-making techniques answered!

If you need to stock up on findings, chain and other essential regular stock items, save time by placing a showroom will-call order now, so it will be ready for you to pick up at the sale.

Hope to see you there!

Bead and Button Show

June 12, 2011

designed by sondra barrington

Jan (Marketing Manager) and I have spent the last week in Milwaukee for the Bead and Button Show. It was a busy week!

We met with vendors and talked about new product ideas; took classes and learned new jewelry making techniques; chatted with customers and helped at the Rings & Things booth; met with jewelry designers and the editors of several magazines and found some time to enjoy the city. (Who knew that “Beer Capital of the World” was home to a lifesize statue of Arthur Fonzarelli ~ AKA the Fonz!)

Thanks to our many customers who attended the show! Share your photos of your Bead & Button experience. Check out our photos on Facebook!

Happy Beading!

Sondra (Sales Manager)

From the Rings & Things Showroom: What's Fresh with Freshwater Pearls

April 29, 2011

Blue and Green Freshwater Pearls

One of my favorite materials to make jewelry with is, hands down, freshwater pearls. I absolutely adore freshwater pearls! Why do I love them so much? Well first and foremost, they are beautiful! Also, they now come in so many shapes and colors, that the possibility for jewelry designs are endless. Freshwater pearls add a whimsical and organic feel to jewelry designs and plus they help me to get in touch with my inner “mermaid”!

Some of the pearls we have right now at our Spokane, Washington Showroom

That being said, here at our Rings & Things Showroom in Spokane, Washington, we just received a huge shipment of beautiful pastel and jewel tone freshwater pearls (just in time to help you with your Spring jewelry designs)! Though I was tempted to keep these pearls a secret all to myself, I realized they were just too pretty to not share with our fellow jewelry “bloggies”. So I have taken some pictures to show you the rainbow of pearls we currently have on display.

So what are Freshwater Pearls?

Freshwater pearls are cultured with the use of mollusks; in particular a species of freshwater mussels. The mussels are injected with a nucleus bead that is sometimes made from a small piece of shell or mantel tissue. The shape of the injected bead helps to determine the shape of the future pearl, as nacre will form around this bead. Nacre is the silky coating layered on pearls that make them so silky and beautiful. Over the years, pearl producers have become quite skilled at creating pearls in a variety of shapes. Below is a visual guide of the most common pearl shapes and a little info about each shape. Enjoy!

Coin Pearls: These are formed by using a disc-shaped bead as the nucleus. Sometimes they are almost perfect circles, while other times the shape is much more organic.

Keishi Pearls: These are actually formed when the mussel rejects the injected bead. The result is a very free-formed shape that kind of resembles Rice Krispies! They are by far my favorite shape of pearl!

Corn Pearls: This shape is like a round, but more flat. They resemble corn kernels and are center-drilled. Corn pearls can be used where you would typically use a rondelle shaped bead.

Potato Pearls: These pearls can vary from almost perfectly round, to fairly lumpy, like a potato. This is a very common pearl shape. Sometimes potato pearls have ridges in the nacre.

Blister Pearls: These pearls are irregular and occur when a pearl grows while still attached to the inside of the shell of the mollusk. They are also sometimes called bouton pearls.

Button Pearls: These are very similiar in shape to the corn pearls. They are side-drilled with one flat side and one rounded side. The picture shows the rounded side, but they are sitting flat on the surface.

Biwa Pearls: This name originally referred to all freshwater pearls grown in Biwa Lake, Japan. However, the name now refers to any stick-shaped or rectangular pearls. Usually they are drilled horizontally in the center or tip of the stick, but as you can see sometimes they are drilled through the center lengthwise.

Rice Pearls: These pearls are smooth and oblong in shape like an oval. They are usually center-drilled, though sometimes they can be found side-drilled.

Well, I hope I have gotten you inspired and excited about freshwater pearls! We have an ever-growing supply of freshwater pearls here at Rings & Things available as regular stock all the time. If you want to see some of the fantastic bright and springy pearls we just received, then head down and see us at our Rings & Things Showroom or check out our traveling Trunk Show, heading across the country right now! (Request an invitation!)

Tiffany