About Us
Welcome to Cherry Tree Beads - we're so glad you're here.
Cherry Tree Beads was founded in 2002 by Bill Edwards, who began selling gemstones at bead shows and sharing his passion for beautiful materials with jewelry makers around the country.
Jennifer Fulton's journey in the bead industry began while attending UNC Asheville, when she started working at a local bead store called Beads & Beyond. After college, she went on to work bead shows for Austin Gems, gaining valuable experience in gemstones, jewelry-making supplies, and the bead show community.
While traveling the bead show circuit, Jennifer and Bill crossed paths and quickly became friends. They shared a passion for creativity, quality materials, and helping jewelry makers find inspiration. In 2007, Jennifer joined Cherry Tree Beads, and they traveled to shows across the country, building relationships with customers and growing the business one bead at a time.
As life became busier and weekends on the road became more difficult, they launched the Cherry Tree Beads website in 2008 to bring the bead show experience online. The goal was simple: offer quality products, friendly service, and a place where makers could find inspiration.
In 2012, Jennifer purchased Cherry Tree Beads and began the next chapter of the company's story. With the support of her husband, Mitchell, she grew the business from the basement of their home, balancing family life while packing orders, building the website, and serving customers.
Over the years, many things have changed, but one thing has remained the same: our commitment to sourcing quality beads and jewelry-making supplies from around the world, building lasting relationships with the families and suppliers who create them, and providing exceptional customer service to the makers who use them.
Today, Cherry Tree Beads is more than a bead supplier. We're a community of makers, dreamers, artists, hobbyists, and small business owners who share a love for creating. Every product we carry is selected with jewelry makers in mind, and every order is packed by a team that genuinely cares about your experience.
Here’s you can always expect from us:
- Beautiful, quality beads and jewelry-making supplies chosen with makers in mind
- Honest, transparent product descriptions
- Fresh new arrivals weekly and designer-curated collections to spark creativity
- Friendly customer service from real people who are happy to help
- Wholesale pricing and support for designers, bead stores, and small businesses
Whether you visit our showroom in Swannanoa or shop with us online, our goal is the same: to inspire creativity, provide exceptional service, and help you create something beautiful.
Thank you for supporting our small business. Every order, every email, every visit, and every project you create means more to us than you know.
We can't wait to see what you make next!
Warmly,
Jennifer & The Cherry Tree Beads Team