Update: I've been shipping at this store for 10 years. Dean has the most unusual, vintage, one of a kind beads around. He just loves beads and has stuff that you can't find anywhere else. read more

Have great stuff! Hard to find a bead store anymore. I ask for a discount for my birthday and he did!

I just adore going in to Deans store. He is always friendly and has so much knowledge to share about the craft. He has curated a an astonishing collection of beads that include rare vintage Czech glass, gemstone, African , vintage costume jewelry beads, crystal beads and on and on! read more

I love this cute little shop. All kinds of random beads from all over the world at affordable prices. The best part is the kind and quirky shopkeeper. He is a delight to talk to and will help you find anything you need. Hours vary so call ahead. read more

Oh Marshmallow, the cross eyed baby, I am so sorry you passed into spirit world with all the other kitties. You were so much part of the experience of sheer enjoyment, such a pretty siamese cross eyed baby. Rest in heaven sweet one. I do hope you are still open despite the pandemic. read more

My favorite bead store in the area. Dean is awesome and very knowledgeable. I love to visit and highly recommend. Support your local bead stores!! Every time I visit I find something special. Last time, I got this beautiful stone for my wallet and learned a ton about different crystals and symbols for abundance. Thank you Dean! read more

Paradise Beads and World Art - Special stone for my wallet with bear engraving from Paradise Beads - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Capitola, California

Very helpful showing me how to repair several pieces of jewelry and supplying all the materials I needed. Interesting collection of beads and pendants. Definitely will be back again and again. read more

Amazing selection of beads, beach glass, shell and many pieces for wire wrap,pendants, bead jewellery repair etc.. Dean, the owner, is patient and so helpful with everyone. I love this little store! read more

Beads beads beads! I was mainly looking for beads of organic material (which I happily found) but I imagine anyone who is interested in all types of beads would find the type they were looking for here because Dean has an amazing selection! And he also is very knowledgeable about the type of beads he's selling and their origin and history. Super cool! I will be back, and obviously I'll be using the beads I bought in my jewelry read more

Whether you are looking for some one of a kind gemstone beads to make a stand out necklace or some vintage glass briolettes for a unique pair of earrings, you will find them here. Dean (the owner) knows his inventory well and can help guide you right to what you want and then give you some advice on how to go about making your new creation. He has the best prices around and his beading classes are half the price of any other bead store in Santa Cruz. p.s. don't forget to give Marshmallow (the cat) a pat or two. read more

Had an absolutely amazing time buying beds and hanging out with the owner Dean. I highly recommend this place for anybody who's in the market for finding buried treasure :) read more

Loved the store and Marshmallow, who is definitely in charge of public relations. Dean (the owner) is very knowledgeable and he helped me identify some stones, I have had for many years, from a mine in Arizona. He inexpensively restrung some turquoise for me and I will definitely be going back to bring my broken and loved necklaces to be "recreated." Dean was full of information and he is pleasant and articulate. I enjoyed my visit. It will be wonderful to pick out new beads to add to my old stuff. Only took him a day to string a very long necklace for me. The store is in an accessible spot and the parking is easy. Great place! read more

Needed to make a pirate bauble ala Jack Sparrow for Burning Man.Decided that since I was there I would restring a couple of stone necklaces I have. I found the owner to be very helpful and the stock to be extensive. My projects met my expectations. Marshmallow shares a trait with our Perioni, crossed eyes. Too cool. Will return. read more

We always enjoy visiting Dean and Marshmallow at Paradise Beads. The selection is fantastic, the prices are great, and Dean's knowledge is top notch. Highly recommended! read more

Cute little store tucked away in the New Leaf parking center, next to Way of Life. I enjoyed the artsy crafty stuff I found (like sea glass for my art project). Oh, and the owner was way cool! Don't always find what I need in terms of beads though. But I'll check back. Have to visit with the cat. read more

Paradise Beads is a small bead store off Soquel Avenue where there is usually a rack of discount strands that are marked down 50% or more. They rotate the kinds of strands on the rack every month or something; each time I go, I see different stuff out. The incentive to check this place out? A cute, blue-eyed cross-eyed cat calls this his home. And the bearded hippy guy who owns this joint wears a cowboy hat and is really friendly. read more

This is my favorite bead shop in all of Santa Cruz county. Dean (and his cat) are very personable and I always find the most interesting things! It is significantly LESS costly than the large craft stores and other bead shops I have been to in the surrounding counties. I used to drive from Morgan Hill just to buy beads here. read more

While "Marshmallow" the cross-eyed cat was the cutest and only attraction to this bead shop, I will not return. The owner was away & had a friend mind the store. Unfortunately of the two items I purchased amongst the disheveled array, I was there for about 25 minutes instructing her on how to use the card swiper which she had difficulty managing. It was not her fault she was great but inexperienced. As for the shop, is was a modge podge of dust & disorganization, bordering on hording. I saw so much potential for great competition with the other small beads stores locally, namely Monkey Girl & Bead It in Santa Cruz ( which are going downhill) BUT the owners' tiredness & disinterest screamed out loud along wth Marshamallow who was pawing at the front door to strangers at 12 noon to "open dis door pweese"! The store looked like my neighbors garage. They have a garage sale constantly but no one buys becasue its all dirty junk. The owner had pictures of himself & Marshmallow from times past and the surroundings in the photo hadn't changed one bit. Oy, how sad. How I cringe when someone has a possible goldmine of opportuniey but for the lack of motivation in their lives. Simply put, it looks like he is dealing with depression and it reflects in his shop. No one else walked in as I was there for about an hour. And as another example of the owners own disinterest of his own store, his business card shows the hours as following: Mon - Fri 11am - "5ish" Sat. 11am - "whenever" Sun "(Call First)" Seriously?!!! read more

I would have given it five starts, if the owners were considerate of the puiblicand did not have a cat in the store. I had an asthma attack afer biengh there 15 minutes, and I don't patronize stores that allow cats- as SOOOO many are dangerously allergic. I feel that these store owners are selfish, and don't care about their patrons at all. Hey, why can't the cat stay at home. puhleez! Jane A.wrote that their prices are terrific. EH, I'm not as enthusiastic: I am in the biz and buy my stuff in Tucson, Az. Every year.(NOW THAT'S WHOLESALE._) But perhaps ignore this : I Am Spoiled from all my Tucson shopping.. Not bad at all for retail. Needles, thread, same as the other stores,BUT Bead It and Monkey girls in my town didn't have any needles for pearling or for use in making gem bead necklaces, last week so I tried Paradise and was relieved that they did. *****THE PEOPLE ARE THE NICEST IN TOWN, sweet and accommodating..,and that's a total plus. but that darn cat! I am making it a personal political agenda that stores, coffee shops, antique stores, Open Mic Venues., thrift stores.... ANY public store in Santa Cruz be prohibited from having cats around, except maybe an Abyssinian, w'c doesn't get most of us with BIG allergies sick. read more

I went to Paradise Beads looking for African pendants; not only did Dean have some neat ones, he had other things I might not have even thought of (I ended up choosing a Serpentine triangle from China). Dean was so helpful; he helped me make my necklace right there and then, and even made the copper wiring for the pendant which I'm not sure I would've been able to do. I found him very knowledgable, offering great suggestions for finishing techniques as well as what material to use for stringing. I highly recommend Dean and his shop, they are an asset to this area. read more

I enjoy stopping in here whenever I get the chance to look at Deans latest finds of abalone, seaglass, and precious stone beads. He has a wonderful collection of older beads and a mixed array of stuff to go through, yes you might have to spend a bit to go through it, and not a beverlys but for what it is, one of my favorite spots. It helps that I like Dean, the owner, and chatting with him when I swing by. We are currently working on new ways to wire wrap. Go here to explore, get inspiration, pet the kitty, meet Dean, and look around. Also if you need boy scout badges, african masks, native american handbags, and odds and ends. read more

I went to Paradise Beads with only half an hour to try to put together a one of a kind gift with almost no experience making jewelry. The owner was very attentive and helpful, even pulling things from the back to give me more options. He helped me take apart a pair of earrings I'd brought in to re-bead and also gave me some excellent design suggestions. The result was beautiful, very affordable and completed in half an hour! It's obvious that the owner loves what he does and his fun attitude was infectious. The store has a wide variety without being overwhelming. I can't wait to give my mom the earrings and I'll definitely return to Paradise Beads for future fun making unique jewelry. Thanks Paradise!!! read more

Walked into shop and was warned that they would be closing in 1 minute which made their closing time 2:33 while 3pm was posted. I wasn't looking to stick around all day. Just pop in and check things out. No offer to help me find anything quickly as a circumstance was causing an early closure. Simply no desire to have another customer. Ever. Headed over the hill where I can get a little more out of my experience. read more

So I'm pretty irritated. I left my house early to stop by this place before an appointment, but when I got here the place was closed. I got here 30 minutes after they were supposed to open and no one was there. I'm not sure if this mishap is due to a mislabling on they're yelp page or what, but I am very unhappy about the fact that I now have to sit here for 20 more minutes with nothing to do until my appointment. Also I'm going to have to come back here later today or tomorrow because I really need beads and this seems to be my only option in the santa cruz area.. read more

Gotta love the cat. The owner is extremely helpful and the time he takes to help with finding odd sized replacements on vintage pieces, or explaining techniques and educating me on beads is great. He has a unique inventory and I like that. Not too much of the made in China junk. Never do I feel like a burden or an idiot. Why the 3 stars? The hours are so inconvenient. And if I'm able to make it during a weekday before closing, often I'm met with a "sorry we're closed for [something or other]" Bottom line, love it when it's open; wish the hours were more consistent and convenient. read more

Dean (the owner) is the most knowledgeable bead guy I've met. He lives and breathes beads and stones. For the amount of space in this little store there is a great variety of just pretty to semi-precious beads. I make beautiful, high end neck pieces and I get some of my ideas just going through his selection. If he doesn't have it, he will look for it at the many bead shows he hangs around in. I hope he gets a bigger place but for now, I will depend on his tenacity at the gem shows to supply me with high quality beads. read more

I want to give 5 Stars - not because it's As Good As It Gets, but definitely deserving of 5 Stars nonetheless. Owner and staff were polite and very kind to stay open late for me. I like it that he doesn't just "order" beads to resell, he searches and finds beads! He's a real gem! : ) read more

Fun little Bead store. I can recommend it. Use to be across from Harbor High. Now it is next to Way of Life and New Leaf in Capitola. I use to spend all my extra income there (he often did special purchase items for me when he went to the Bead wholesale events). Liked the owner (an outgoing personality and helpful) and found what I needed. Store was neat and clean, a little disorganized (too much stuff, I suppose), but worth the extra hassle of sorting through to find what I needed. Looks like he just moved in, some things arn't out (so you have to ask, he has more stuff stored in back). This space is smaller than the last. It is a little hard to locate. But if you know it is the store right next to Way of Life, you'll find it. He had some hard to find stuff (not as much accessories as I like, but that was fine, ..Beverlys is down the street). I like the special care he takes selecting his bead inventory. I always feel like I am getting one of kind of things (but cheaper than elsewhere). He is know for being lots less expensive (I overhead a sales girl from Bead It buying there as well. Was cheaper than her own store!) The hours are sort of short. But the owner says he comes in for appointments if you can't make his times (he works other locations on the weekends, etc.....so that is why). read more

I give this place 5 stars just because it has NO RULES posted at the doorway! Small store, comfy feel. Staff is friendly and helpful-it is an enjoyable place to shop. Selection isn't huge but the beads are interesting. read more

This place is awesome, always new stuff and a nice selection of vintage beads, which is great since it is better to repurpose this stuff then buy new stuff from china. The owner is nice and will often give discounts. The hours are weird but it's worth it to stop in and shop and get inspired to make something unique and fun! read more

I want to thank Dean for all his assistance and enthusiasm in helping me find the right beads for my braids/corn rows. He also provided me with lots of tips on how to care for my hair. He's got a fantastic selection of beads along with being a wonderful person. His shop is super friendly and so is his Office Manager/Cat Marshmallow. Just call ahead to make sure he'll be there since his schedule fluctuates a bit. read more

Paradise Beads has recently moved to 41st Avenue between Way of Life and New Leaf. An excellent location! I had a great experience meeting Dean (the owner) who was very friendly and helpful. I say friendly first because I feel like I made a new friend, not like he was just being nice to sell me stuff. He has a great selection and contrary to what Leticia said, everything was organized and the shop looked great. He had a large selection of unique beads. I didn't like his other location either, but the new shop is great and Dean makes it fun. read more

I dashed in here on a quick lunch break and found some wonderful beads in no time! It's a small, casual, low-key place, packed with beads on tables, beads in trays, beads hanging from the walls, beads in cases. I bought some brushed metal beads, lovely bali-type beads, and gorgeous blue and bronze jasper. There were two other shoppers plus the owner when I was there and it was fun to hear them talking about their projects. I'd say that was about capacity for the room! read more

Eclectic collection of beautiful beads, stones, crystals, shells and more from all over the world. Owner is super nice, helpful, patient and did not mind kids. The place is disorganized and requires time to search through piles if you are in a browsing mood. Prices are fair and reasonable, especially compared to more mainstream bead stores. The owner is clearly a collector and admitted to having hoarding tendencies. CALL BEFORE YOU HAUL because he keeps erratic hours, even during the week when the store should be open. The people next door told me that the shop is more of a hobby for him than a real money-making business. read more

Paradise Beads is a wonderful hidden treasure located about a mile from the beach and near a strip of local vintage clothing, surf, and coffee shops. I was very happy to find a great selection of unusual beads and a nice variety of beautiful gemstones like kyanite, turquoise, chrysocolla, blue lace agate, and quartz crystals in unusual shapes and cuts, and more. It was hard to make a decision because I wanted all of them. I was like a kid in a candy shop, the more I looked the more cool things I found. I saw a glass bead "The Evil Eye" which is rare to find, along with a beautiful mix of African Trade Beads, Cool Metal, and Recycled Glass in beautiful Aqua, Cobalt, and Coral colors perfect for this season. The store owner was very friendly and informative. My 7 year old son was with me and the owner showed him some cool sand dollars that he just got in. The icing on the cake was a cross eyed cat with an adorable personality. This is definitely the store to come to if you enjoy digging for treasures! read more