Apricot Tarts' Best Bead Stores in Toronto pt. 2: Soo Ling Beads

As promised, I recently ventured further away from the downtown core - Dundas St. West and Ossignton Ave. to be exact - in search of unique and unusual beads, and stumbled upon Soo Ling Beads & Beading Co. Ltd. (what a mouthful)!

Getting There
Located at 1162 Dundas St. West
Take the 505 Dundas streetcar to Ossington Ave. or the 63 Ossington bus to Dundas St.

The Store
Soo Ling Beads is crammed with beads. They come in jars, in baggies, on strings and on boards. If you're looking for unusual and vintage (or vintage-looking) beads, this is the place to go. Soo Ling Beads stocks Peruvian hand painted beads, Czech glass beads, Indian carved bone beads, sequins, Venetian glass pendants and much, much more (as you can tell from the photos and the many jars). Many of the beads are displayed on boards, so ask the owner to take a look at the stock stored behind the counter.

I recently nabbed these beauties: vintage ceramic floral beads and carved bone moons. Watch out for them in my Etsy shop.

In the Neighbourhood
Little Portugal is the neighbourhood. Walk a bit west to Nova Era Bakery for some Portuguese custard tarts (and some squash tarts if you're feeling adventurous). Or, take a walk down Ossington Ave. towards Queen St. for your daily dose of the hip and happening.

See the first installment of Apricot Tarts' Best Bead Stores in Toronto.

Apricot Tarts' Best Bead Stores in Toronto pt. 1

Every jewelry maker needs supplies. From gorgeous gemstones to world beads to precious metals, Toronto bead stores have it all. Below, you'll find my recommendations for the best Toronto-area bead stores. The stores are selected based on quality, uniqueness, affordability, extensiveness of inventory and accessibility. I included a handy ‘In the Neighbourhood’ section for tourists and locals unfamiliar with the downtown core. I hope to add more stores to this list in the future, focusing on shops outside of downtown Toronto.

Arton Beads

Getting There
Located at 523/525 Queen St. West
Take the 501 Queen streetcar to Augusta Avenue or the 510 Spadina streetcar to Queen St and walk 2 minutes west.

The Store
Arton Beads is in fact two bead stores. Number 523 supplies base metal findings and chain; plastic and glass beads; wood beads; ribbon and other stringing materials; base metal charms, etc. Number 525 supplies semiprecious stones; sterling silver, gold and vermeil findings, chain and beads; pearls and shell beads; Swarovski crystals; silk cord and other stringing materials, etc.

Peridot rondelles from a strand from Arton Beads.

Lapis lazuli drops sold loose at Arton Beads.

What makes it Special?
Semiprecious stones are mostly sold by strand, though larger stones are available loose. The stone selection is quite extensive, and most stones come in a variety of forms (e.g. various sizes of round, teardrop, nugget, faceted, and more).
Arton Beads is highly affordable. Many strands are sold for under $10, and with a membership card, all strands over $15 are 50% off (to get a membership card, you need to present receipts totaling $60). Make sure to ask whether the stones you are buying have been dyed, as many are not labeled.
The store’s selection of precious metal findings, chain and beads is also extensive. Findings are sold in packs and individually.

In the Neighbourhood
Queen St. between Spadina and Bathurst is chock-full of bead stores. For a change of pace, hop on the westbound Queen streetcar to Trinity Bellwoods park. Stroll through the park (the former home of Trinity College), gobble up some macaroons at Nadege Patisserie, and visit the quirky shops across from Trinity gate.

Courage My Love

Getting There
Located at 14 Kensington Ave
Take the 510 Spadina streetcar to Dundas St. and walk west on Dundas to Kensington Ave., or the 505 Dundas streetcar to Spadina Ave. and walk west on Dundas to Kensington Ave.

From Courage my Love

The Store
Courage My Love is primarily a vintage clothing, jewelry and knickknack store. However, they have a glorious collection of precious stones, semiprecious stones, vintage buttons, and world beads. Watch out for a small cabinet of sparkly gemstone strands and jewelry – it will take you breath away!

Bali bead caps from Courage my Love

What makes it Special?
Unique beads and findings are the standard at Courage My Love. Gorgeous sterling silver beads from Bali, brass beads from India and African trade beads are purchased directly from the source. Vintage and antique strands dangle overhead. Prices reflect the uniqueness of the beads.

In the Neighbourhood
Courage My Love is located in Kensington Market – a mishmash of vintage shops, specialty food stores (check out Global Cheese), restaurants and cafes that will keep you busy for a while. Or, head to Chinatown to grab lunch at Pho Hung and pick up some cheap fruits and vegetables from the market stalls spilling onto the street.

Earth Rocks

Getting There
Located at 758 Bathurst St.
Take the Boor-Danforth Subway to Bathurst Station and walk south on Bathurst St.

The Store
Earth Rocks can be found in the storefront of the bookstore Alternative Thinking. The small space is packed with loose semiprecious beads, organized by colour - just tell the owner what you’re looking for and he’ll pull up a tray. The store also carries findings, precious metal beads, chain, stringing materials, and the Earth Rocks line of jewelry.

Carnelian drops and natural turquoise from Earth Rocks

What makes it Special?
For someone crazy about making earrings, having an accessible well-stocked store selling high quality loose stones is crucial. When I need a pair of focal beads, what am I going to do with a whole strand? Earth Rocks carries a wide variety of vibrantly coloured stones. The owner is also highly knowledgeable about his merchandise and the various stone families, and avoids dyed and synthetic stones.

From Wiki Commons

In the Neighbourhood

Earth Rocks is part of Mirvish Village and the Annex. Take a stroll up Bathurst and visit the home of Ed Mirvish himself at Honest Ed’s, Toronto’s flashy bargain store. Grab some second-hand books at BMV and head to Future Bakery to mingle with the U of T crowd.

NEW: Part two of Apricot Tarts' Best Bead Stores in Toronto.

Buyer Beware: Purchasing Semiprecious Gemstone Jewelry and Supplies Online

The online marketplace is booming with sparkly offerings from talented artisans, big-box stores, and everything in between. Before buying jewelry or gemstones online, it's important to step back and evaluate your potential purchase.

1. Descriptions. Is the item, including all materials, described thoroughly? As an Etsy seller, I always specify what type of metal I use and where, whether any stones are dyed, etc. Descriptions should not be vague (e.g. "yellow drop" is insufficient; look for jade drop, citrine drop, glass drop, plastic drop etc.)
2. Photos. Are there multiple photos taken from different angles? Do the photos look like stock photos that have been reused (and therefore don't show the exact item you'll be purchasing)? 
3. Research. Look up what you're buying. Many stones and metal components are not what they appear. Trade names for gemstones are often misleading as suppliers seek to make their stones more appealing. 

I've compiled a brief list of terms, including some common misnomers, and their definitions. It's by no means comprehensive, and I'll try to add to it in future blog posts.

• Vermeil: Gold plated onto sterling silver. The gold used must be at least 10 karats to be considered vermeil. 

•  Fruit Quartz. These "stones" include pineapple quartz and cherry quartz (pictured). The vast majority of fruit quartz on the market is glass with coloured inclusions. Naturally occurring cherry quartz is extremely rare. 

• Howlite. Naturally occurring as a white stone with dark, vein-like inclusions (left). Porous and often dyed to imitate turquoise (right). If you're buying turquoise stones or jewelry for a very cheap price, you may be dealing with howlite, or a number of other dyed stones.

  

• Tundru/Tundra/Tunduru Sapphire. May be a mix of gemstones, commonly pyrope garnet, hessonite garnet and tourmaline (clockwise from left). Tunduru, Tanzania produces a wide variety of gems including sapphire, and some Tunduru Sapphire strands are indeed genuine. However, many dealers are attempting to pass garnets for sapphires, calling them variations of Tunduru (e.g. Tundra).

•  Water Sapphire. Trade name for Iolite.

• Mystic Topaz and Mystic Quartz. Naturally occurring white topaz (left) and rock quartz (right) coated to add colour (often to give a rainbow effect).