For more than 23 years, Continental Bead Suppliers has worked quietly out of a warehouse in Las Vegas, supplying bead stores, jewelry designers and jewelry businesses across the country. Most people in Southern Nevada never had a reason to know it was there. That has changed. The family-owned company, founded in 2003, has opened its Las Vegas warehouse and showroom to the public. Local makers, from seasoned professionals to curious beginners, can now walk in, shop beads, chains, findings and gemstones in person, and learn the craft through hands-on jewelry-making classes. If you have been looking for a bead store in Las Vegas where you can see and touch your materials before you buy them, this is the story of how one became available.
From Wholesale Supplier to Las Vegas Creative Destination
Continental Bead Suppliers started in 2003 as a family business with a focused purpose: supply the components that jewelry makers depend on. Over more than two decades, the company built its reputation in the trade on chains, beads, findings and the many small jewelry-making components that hold a finished piece together.
For most of that time, the work happened behind the scenes. Orders were pulled, packed and shipped to bead stores, independent designers and jewelry businesses throughout the United States and to customers internationally. The bracelets, necklaces and earrings made with those supplies were sold under other people's names, in other people's shops. The warehouse itself stayed out of view.
That model served the company and its customers well, and it still does. But owner Dean Aaron saw something closer to home.
"We've spent more than 23 years serving the jewelry-making industry from behind the scenes," says Aaron. "We realized there was an entire creative community here in Southern Nevada that wanted a place where they could come in, see the products in person and get inspired. Opening our doors to the public felt like the natural next chapter for our family business."
The result is a change in what Continental Beads means to Las Vegas. It is no longer only a supplier that local makers might have ordered from online. It is now a place they can visit, a working jewelry supply store in Las Vegas where the inventory that once shipped only to businesses sits on display for anyone who wants to create.
A Showroom Built for Makers
Walking into a jewelry supply showroom is a different experience from scrolling a product page. Strands of gemstone beads hang in deep reds, cool blues, soft greens and earthy neutrals. Glass beads catch the light. Lengths of chain in different link styles and finishes sit side by side, so the differences you would squint at online are obvious at a glance. Clasps, charms and earring findings fill the spaces between, the small parts that turn a pile of beads into a wearable piece.
Continental's showroom brings together the same range of jewelry-making supplies the company has offered wholesale customers for years:
- Gemstone beads in a range of stones, colors, shapes and sizes
- Glass beads for color, sparkle and pattern
- Chains for necklaces, bracelets, anklets and layered designs
- Findings, the connectors and components that hold jewelry together
- Clasps to finish necklaces and bracelets securely
- Charms to personalize a piece
- Earring findings and many other jewelry-making supplies
Seeing these materials in person matters more than many first-time shoppers expect. Here is why makers value a physical bead shop:
Color is truer in person. A gemstone bead photographed under studio lights can look different on your monitor than it does in your hand. In the showroom, you see the real shade, the natural variation between stones and how colors work together before you commit.
You can compare components side by side. Will this clasp suit that chain? Is this jump ring sturdy enough for the pendant you have in mind? Holding the pieces together answers questions that product dimensions alone cannot.
You can feel weight and texture. The heft of a chain, the smoothness of a polished stone and the finish of a metal component all shape how a finished piece looks and wears.
Ideas come from browsing. Many designs start with an unplanned moment: two strands next to each other that look better together than you would have guessed. A showroom invites that kind of discovery.
You can ask questions. Speaking with knowledgeable staff can save hours of trial and error, whether you are matching findings to a design or figuring out what you need for a first project.
Jewelry-Making Classes in Las Vegas
Alongside the showroom, Continental Bead Suppliers offers hands-on jewelry-making classes in Las Vegas. Classes can include gemstone jewelry design, wire wrapping, and making bracelets, necklaces and anklets, along with other jewelry-making techniques.
There is a practical advantage to learning where the materials live. In a class at Continental, you are working steps away from the beads, chains and findings you are learning to use. When a technique clicks and you want to try it again at home, you can pick out supplies on the spot and leave with everything you need.
Classes also make jewelry making more approachable. A technique like wire wrapping can feel intimidating from a video. Learning it hands-on, with guidance and with the right tools and materials in front of you, gives beginners a real starting point and gives experienced makers a way to add new skills. For anyone searching for jewelry-making classes in Southern Nevada, the showroom offers both the instruction and the materials under one roof.
To ask about upcoming classes, call 702-360-9900 or email dean@continentalbeads.com.
For Professionals, Hobbyists and First-Time Jewelry Makers
Continental designed the showroom to welcome every kind of maker.
Professional jewelry designers can source components in person, compare finishes and check quality before placing larger orders. Opening to the public does not change the company's wholesale roots. Continental continues to serve wholesale customers and jewelry businesses throughout the United States and internationally.
Hobbyists, artists and crafters get a place to browse, restock and find new materials for the next project, without guessing from a screen.
Beginners get a welcoming starting point. If you have never made a piece of jewelry, you can see what the materials look like, learn what a finding or a clasp actually does, and sign up for a class to learn the basics.
The showroom is in Las Vegas, and it is open to makers from across the valley. For people searching for jewelry-making supplies in Henderson, a bead store near North Las Vegas or a creative outing from Boulder City, Continental Beads is a Las Vegas destination worth the drive.
A New Chapter for a Family-Owned Business
Continental Bead Suppliers has been family-owned since its founding in 2003. That continuity shows in how the company describes this moment: not as a reinvention, but as a next chapter.
The business that spent more than 23 years serving the jewelry-making industry is still doing that work. Wholesale customers still rely on Continental for chains, beads, findings and components, and orders still go out to customers across the country and abroad. What is new is that the same depth of inventory and experience is now open to the community that has been nearby all along.
For Las Vegas, it means a local jewelry supply company with decades of industry experience has become a place to visit, not just a name on a shipping label. For Southern Nevada's makers, it means a bead store where you can explore, learn and create in person.
Visit the Continental Beads Showroom in Las Vegas
Whether you design jewelry for a living, make pieces for friends and family, or have simply wanted to try making your first bracelet, Continental Bead Suppliers invites you to stop by. Explore the gemstone beads, compare chains and findings side by side, ask questions and find inspiration for your next piece. If you want to learn a new technique, ask about upcoming jewelry-making classes.
Continental Bead Suppliers
3035 E. Post Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89120
Hours: Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: open most Saturdays, please call ahead
Closed Sunday
Phone: 702-360-9900
Email: dean@continentalbeads.com
Shop online: continentalbeadsuppliers.com
Come see what more than 23 years of jewelry-making supply experience looks like in person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy beads in Las Vegas?
Continental Bead Suppliers has opened its Las Vegas warehouse and showroom to the public. You can shop gemstone beads, glass beads, chains, findings and other jewelry-making supplies in person, or online at continentalbeadsuppliers.com.
Does Continental Beads sell to the public?
Yes. After more than 23 years operating primarily as a wholesale supplier, Continental Bead Suppliers has opened its Las Vegas showroom to the public. Professionals, hobbyists, artists, crafters and beginners are all welcome.
Where can I buy jewelry-making supplies in Las Vegas?
Continental Bead Suppliers carries jewelry-making supplies at its Las Vegas showroom, including gemstone beads, glass beads, chains, clasps, charms, earring findings and other components. The showroom also serves makers from Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and across Southern Nevada.
Does Continental Beads offer jewelry-making classes?
Yes. Continental offers hands-on jewelry-making classes in Las Vegas. Classes can include gemstone jewelry design, wire wrapping, bracelets, necklaces, anklets and other techniques. See upcoming classes, call 702-360-9900 or email dean@continentalbeads.com.
What types of beads and jewelry-making supplies does Continental Beads carry?
Continental is known for chains, beads, findings and jewelry-making components. Products include gemstone beads, glass beads, chains, clasps, charms, earring findings and many other jewelry-making supplies.
Is Continental Beads wholesale or retail?
Both. Continental Bead Suppliers continues to serve wholesale customers and jewelry businesses throughout the United States and internationally, and its Las Vegas showroom is now open to the public.
Where is Continental Beads located?
Continental Bead Suppliers is located at 3035 E. Post Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89120. The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is also open most Saturdays, so please call 702-360-9900 before a Saturday visit. The showroom is closed Sunday.
How long has Continental Bead Suppliers been in business?
Continental Bead Suppliers was founded in 2003 and is a family-owned business. It has served the jewelry-making industry for more than 23 years.