Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Rizzo.
Christina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I discovered jewelry-making 25 years ago when I was in junior high school. I wanted to make a friendship bracelet with beads, so I went to a local bead shop and got some pointers, and that was it – I was hooked. I became such a fixture at one shop in Pasadena that the owner offered me a summer job when I was 16. Through ownership and location changes, that store became the San Gabriel Bead Co., and I was involved there, either working or teaching, until it closed 18 years later.
After college, I decided to pursue a Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America, with a goal of being a jewelry appraiser. I completed my GG studies in 2006, and a certificate in Appraisal Studies from UC Irvine Extension in 2009. I worked with a reputable jewelry appraiser in the area for six years, all the while teaching jewelry-making techniques at the San Gabriel Bead Co. In July 2015, the bead shop closed, and I decided to strike out on my own, to continue to provide our community with a creative space dedicated to the art of adornment. A Place To Bead opened in December, 2015.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Although I came from working for a business that had been built up over two decades and had a pretty solid customer base, I had to start from scratch. The first challenge was finding a location that felt compatible with the type of business we have. Other challenges have been reaching former customers, building up a good inventory from the ground up, and of course, creating awareness in the local community that we’re here.
Please tell us about A Place To Bead.
Independent and full-service bead shops are few and far between. We are a member of the Southern California Local Bead Store Association, and at present there are only 14-member stores from the LA area to San Diego. A few of the things that make an independent shop different from a large craft store are the level of customer service, knowledgeable staff, and selection and variety of products to choose from.
We carry all kinds of beads – glass, gemstone, natural materials, vintage, metal, to name a few – as well as findings in base and precious metals, tools, and other supplies for jewelry and related crafts. Our merchandise can be used to create unique jewelry pieces, for embellishment on fibers, needlepoint, textiles…you name it. Beads have been a part of human civilization since the beginning, and there are infinite possibilities for their use. We’re always on the hunt for unique and unusual things that people won’t find anywhere else, as well as stocking the basics and essentials.
We offer classes in a range of jewelry techniques, from basic stringing to advanced bead weaving, as well as classes using precious metal clay and other metals. We also host children’s birthday parties, ladies’ night out, Girl Scout troops, and private parties, where participants will leave with something special they made themselves.
We love what we do – whether it’s helping our customers design their creative projects and turn their vision into something tangible, repairing jewelry, offering technical advice, or leading a novice in the right direction – and of course, we love all the people we meet! It’s a pleasure to provide a welcoming and comfortable space for our customers to come to.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Opening a store was something I dreamed about doing one day, but thought it would be later in life if it did happen. When the store I worked at closed, I had what I perceived as a small window of opportunity to get this business up and running. If I had to start over again, I would have promoted our shop more while we were preparing and getting everything ready to open. There were only about 70 people on our mailing list when we opened.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2566 Mission St.
San Marino, CA 91108 - Website: www.aplace2bead.com
- Phone: 626-219-6633
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: aplacetobead
- Facebook: aplacetobeadsanmarino
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
