Our Story
HTML clipboardBeads of Marin is nestled in the foothills of
Mt. Tamalpais in the town of Mill Valley, and on one of its quaint little
streets, Locust Ave.
Beads of Marin has been part of Mill Valley and in the same location since 1994, prior to which it used to be a fireman
bar and at least once a week someone comes in with a juicy story about the old days.
In 2002, Batel Libes needed to purchase
beads for a lariat she was designing, decided to check out Beads of Marin, known for its large collection of quality beads. A “Store for Sale” sign on
the front window got her attention. She bought the store and never looked back.
Batel’s background is in fiber art, but for many years she earned a living in the high-tech corporate world, where the
distinguishing factor between one company and another often came down to the quality of customer service offered. At Beads of Marin we pride ourselves
on offering unparalleled quality customer service.
We will talk you out of things we believe you don’t need to purchase, while making sure what you do purchase will work
with what you had in mind. We will hold your hand (figuratively, though if you ask, literally too) while helping you design your creation, and will be
supportive of you through your learning process. We will come over to you while you use our made-for-beaders work area.
At Beads of Marin we have a most eclectic collection of beads, ranging from glass to wood, horn, bone, stone, coral,
turquoise, pearls, and more. We specialize in high-end gems and have a substantial collection of African beads, both old and new. We also carry over
75 chains in sterling silver, and some 55 in gold fill, along with over 40 base metal chains. We also have over 150 different clasps in sterling
silver, gold fill, vermeil, 14k and 18k.
We serve the beading community with honesty and integrity, offering a place for all to come and be welcomed, learn and
create in a friendly environment that is supportive and encourages creativity.
In addition to serving
beaders, we also try to serve our community at large. In an effort to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, we stopped printing our
class schedule and now post it only online (for those who do not have Internet access, we will gladly print out a paper copy). We found that we save
about 1000 sheets of paper a month doing so. We also began using biodegradable “plastic” shopping and garbage bags. As more environment-friendly
products become available, we will do our best to bring them into our store.
Looking forward to seeing you here.
Batel Libes and the staff of Beads of Marin
Read about usBead One, Pray Too
8 Locust Ave., Mill Valley, CA 94941 415.381.4364
Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
