The Ultimate Valentine's Bead Shopping Guide For Your Small Jewellery Business

Oh, the season of love! From too pretty to actually eat chocolates, to luxury perfumes, to unique pieces of jewellery, the 14th February is a massive holiday for retailers.

For us beaded jewellery makers, it is a fantastic time to try some new beading techniques and work with some adorable designs and colour schemes. Whether you are designing heart themed necklaces for your beading business, looking for some design inspiration to get started or even simply wanting to make some Galentine's bracelets for your much loved besties, there are endless looks to create and hundreds of beading supplies to choose from. So much so it can be hard to know where to start! 

With such a big holiday, there can be pressure to create one of a kind pieces and know exactly where to start to get successful sales for your small jewellery making business. We have put together this shopping guide for all you beaders out there who may want a helping hand with creating Valentine's collections. If you're not sure whether to actually do Valentine's collections, what themes to develop or where to start with buying the supplies, keep reading to discover all the information you need!

So, What's So Special About Valentine's Anyway?

There is definitely a divide between some people loving Valentine's Day and others who think it's an over celebrated day that can be pretty expensive. But despite some negative perceptions, it is an internationally celebrated holiday that is more than just a celebration of love, but also a huge opportunity for small business owners. With £112 million being spent on Valentine's Jewellery in 2018 - 5% more than the previous year - it is evident that many consumers are actively choosing jewellery as gifts more each year.

But what is less evident from this static, is whether people are shopping for fine jewellery from jewellers or more bespoke, handmade pieces that you can find on Etsy as an example. With 2021 being a huge year for the beading community, and the creations of fun, colour and quirky looks, many consumers chose to shop small from independent sellers, rather than mass retailers and it could be argued this mindset is still here.

Etsy is a fantastic platform for encouraging consumers to shop independently, and brought in $1.7 billion of sales in 2020, with a year on year increase. In this sales, data showed that jewellery was one of the top retail categories, along with homeware and personal accessories. 

What can be seen is that the demand for handmade jewellery is growing on Etsy, with a correlation of a high demand for jewellery during the Valentine's season.

Okay, enough boring data! In conclusion... Time to hide out in your craft rooms and get beading!  

When Should I Start Making My Collection?

Shopping periods for Valentine's gifts can start as early as December. But let's get real, how many people actually do that? Valentine's sales on Etsy really pick up in mid January, and peak in the first week of February (data collected from 2019). If you are still unsure on designs and putting your jewellery collections together, don't worry! There is still time to create some one of a kind looks just in time for the peak Valentine's Day shopping period.

I'm Not Sure Where To Start... Where Can I Find Inspiration?

The beauty of beading is how unique each designers work is. The beading community is a fantastic place to be inspired by like minded creators. We of course discourage any kind of copying patterns, but findings trends in the beading world is a great place to start! You can do this in a few different ways:

- Check out the 'Explore' page on Instagram. If you are bead obsessed, Instagram will know to show you some pretty amazing content that is trending and popular. Try having a look through and seeing if there are any new techniques you can try, and make it different with your own brand style, such as colour schemes and bead materials. 

- Pinterest is the no.1 social media platform for inspiration. Try setting up a Valentine's Day Pin Board and create a curated collection of images that can inspire your own work.

Not sure where to start with putting a board together? Check out our Valentine's Day Jewellery Idea board! 

- Another great way to find styles that consumers are going to love is doing some market research of some mainstream brands. Although their style may be different and you want your jewellery to be unique, it will give you a better idea of what consumers are looking for this season, and will influence your creations to look fresh and on trend. 

7 Must Have Beading Supplies For Your Valentine's Collection

Now for the fun bit! We all know how addictive bead shopping can be and how it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. So we are here to guide you in the right direction, and show you our top 7 bead recommendations that will make your Valentine's design truly stand out, as well as keep you on trend this season.

1. Rose Quartz Gemstone Round Beads

Rose Quartz is definitely at the top of our list. Not only do these quality gemstones offer a stunning pink colour and mottled effect, but they are known for their many properties, including the opening of the heart, and embracing love, friendship and self-love. Not only is this bead perfect for a significant other to express deeper love, but they are great for those jewellery pieces when someone simply wants a treat for themselves!

2. Gemstone Chip Nugget Beads

Whether you are looking to add necklaces, earrings or bracelet stacks to your Valentine's collection, the Gemstone Chip Nugget Beads not only offer an abundance of unique properties, but create stunning pieces with dimension. With every bead being a little different, there are endless possibilities for jewellery designs.

3. Bubble Gum Opaque Round Acrylic Beads In Various Colours

If you are a lover of the Acrylic Bead aesthetic, our Bubble Gum Beads are an essential for your bead stashes. Why not try making some cute beaded phone straps for your besties? Galentine's is nearly as big as the classic Valentine's and is a great opportunity to make some fun and colourful accessories to celebrate friendships. 

3. Premium Pastel Opaque Glass Seed Beads

Sure, Valentine's loves the reds and pinks, but pastels are a great alternative to the classic colour scheme. Pastels offer a fresh and bright style that will make for beautiful Spring accessories, and not just for Valentine's. Not only are the colours fantastic, but this product offers premium quality in its shapes and sizing. With an even design, you can create stunning necklaces, stackable bracelets and earring hoops with a luxury finish.

5. Pink Colour Themed 3mm Glass Seed Bead Selection Pack.

A little indecisive when it comes to choosing seed bead colours? When there are so many to choose from, it can be overwhelming to choose the right ones! This is why seed bead packs are great to work with when creating collections. Not only will it give you a consistent look throughout all of your pieces, but it gives you the chance to work with a variety of colours and finishes at a more affordable price.

6. Rose Freshwater Pearl Rice Beads

There is nothing like rose tinted pearls in a beaded jewellery creations. The shimmery finish and dainty size offers a feel of expense to any piece, even when its paired with acrylic beads, or glass beads. These are a great option for any jewellery designer wanting to add something a little more unique to a design, with each and every pearl being special. 

7. Single Colour Bright Opaque Heart Polymer Clay Beads

There is nothing quite like the simple, yet bold opaque of an Opaque Polymer Clay Heart. Whether you want a striking pendant or a centre piece in your love themed bead combination, these are a great (and affordable!) supply for your Valentine's collection.

Hopefully this guide has given you a bit more insight into the benefits of creating Valentine's Day designs and where to get started with your own designs. 

Leave a comment below with what you are making for your Valentine's jewellery collections!