If you're the kind of person who enjoys making and designing your own arts and crafts, it won't be too long before you want to design your own jewelry.
But of course, if you're the type of person who's into arts and crafts, you know that you can't simply jump into a project willy nilly.
You need to know exactly what you're getting into, and more specifically, exactly what supplies to purchase. But where are the best places to buy jewelry-making supplies? Do you have to search around for multiple places or can you find a one-stop shop?
There are two main choices for physical locations if you want to find jewelry-making supplies. The first choice is the arts and crafts department stores.
Stores like Jo-Ann Fabrics and Michael's are shops that specialize in having a variety of different craft supplies. This means they will often have at least some of what you need for any given piece of jewelry that you're planning on making.
They will also generally have cheaper prices, due to their department store-like nature. Because of that, they tend to have lower prices than specialty shops.
The downside is that they don't always have the same variety that you'd get in a specialty shop. So if you're looking for something specific, you may be out of luck if you're trying one of the craft department stores.
The other choice you have for physical location would be jewelry making specialty shops. There are shops such as Bead nicks, and a number of others, that specialize in supplies for making jewelry.
The upshot of this sort of place is that you can generally find exactly what you're looking for, no matter how esoteric and out of the ordinary it is. If you need specific color beads or specific beads that are made out of a certain material, or maybe a specific kind of wiring, a specialty shop is liable to have it.
The downside of a specialty shop is that they're generally a bit more expensive than your department style craft shops. This is because they specialize in a niche product, and carry a wide variety of that niche product.
In order to make their bottom line, they have to sell a lot of things for slightly more than you might find them otherwise. However, sometimes it's completely worth paying a little bit more money so that you know for certain you're able to get exactly what you need.
Not every person wants to search around for hours trying to find the exact supplies they want, after all! Lastly, there's also the internet.
If you're the type of person who simply doesn't like leaving your home, you can always try the internet. You can find a wide variety of things on various websites, as well.
Ultimately, where to search for jewelry making supplies is where ever you feel more comfortable finding them. As long as you find what you need, you win!