Gloria Blackstone: Building Community with Beads
Gloria Blackstone, owner of Glorious Beads on Castro Valley Boulevard.
According to Gloria Blackstone, owner of Glorious Beads on Castro Valley Boulevard, building a community is a lot like building a jewelry design with beads.
“It’s very social,” Blackstone says. “It's therapeutic to work with your hands and create something. It's not too hard. It’s very pretty and doesn't take too long to make, so you feel really good about what you created, and then you can wear it around.”
Blackstone is celebrating 20 years in business next summer. The store is more than a retail space—it serves as a social hub where customers can relax, create, and bond. Blackstone spoke with the Castro Valley Forum about her path and creating community through colorful, long-term relationships.
“What I enjoy is talking to people,” Blackstone says. “I don't think there are very many places where people can just go and relax and maybe use their hands at the same time. After 20 years, a lot of my customers have been coming in. I know them. I've heard about their children growing up and grandchildren, and it's just that you get to know these people like your friends, and they come in a lot now, not just to buy something, but just to visit.
Blackstone loved beading from a young age and, after learning about a bead store for sale, impulsively decided to buy it despite initial skepticism from her husband.
“I said to my husband. ‘We're gonna buy a bead store,’” Blackstone said. “And of course, he says, ‘Are you kidding? No, we’re not,’ and I said, ‘Oh yes, we are.’ Now, my husband loves coming down here all the time,”
Since then, she’s spent her time learning and teaching advanced techniques through classes and study and eventually began teaching. Costs typically range from $0.05 to $5 a bead, making beading less expensive than other hobbies, and you can sell your crafts. However, Blackstone says younger generations are less exposed to jewelry-making with fewer bead shops around. Gloria helps spark interest by showing examples and teaching customers how to create their own pieces.
“You can start out with the pretty beads that are not as expensive and go into more like the art beads if you wanted to,” Blackstone said. “People don’t realize that you can easily make a pair of earrings for $5, or you can go out with a three-strand woven bracelet that's $40 or $50. We teach people how to make these.”
The shop provides tools, materials, vintage jewelry, and out-of-print bead magazines, preserving resources for the craft as bead-related publications and stores dwindle. Additionally, Glorious offers small, hands-on classes and repairs. Blackstone says she previously collaborated with local schools.
Blackstone says running a small business has been challenging, especially with competition from online retailers like Amazon. COVID-19 also posed difficulties, but the shop adapted to maintain sales with phone consultations, outdoor pickups, and remote bead selection. Effective promotion and organization are essential to keep the store thriving.
We build community through word of mouth, and you know it's a little bit like dating because I feel like all the beaders will come here,” Blackstone told the Forum. “I want to give good customer service and be able to fulfill everybody's beading needs. “You know how when you really want to do something; you just make it happen? That’s me with beading.
For more information, visit her website: gloriousbeads.biz/