Creative Beads unique to the area

By Jim Obert

Business Today

JACKSON -- A bounty of beads -- round, flat, oval, any shape -- in all possible colors and imported from Austria, China, Czech Republic, Bali, Mexico, India and Africa, glimmer in a smorgasbord-type setting at Creative Beads in Jackson.

No plastic beads. These beads are precious stones, real bones, crystal, sterling silver, gold-filled and glass.

"We like to rank ourselves between genuine jewelry and custom jewelry," says Jean Turnbough, who owns the new business with Beth and Dan Ruckman.

There are thousands of beads from which to choose. Bracelet, necklace, watch and earring kits are available. People can make bracelets and other beaded items at a table or on a porch at the business. There are small lockers available to keep purses safe while customers peruse the wares.

Ready-to-wear bracelets are made by Creative Beads employees. Turnbough says Jackson school bracelets and Rams bracelets are popular as are mother and grandmother bracelets studded with children's names spelled with their birthstones.

"Beading is a huge thing right now," says Turnbough. "The closest bead shops are in St. Louis, Memphis and Paducah."

It was in Paducah that Turnbough literally bumped into beads. About a year ago, she took a lunch break from her job as manager of the UPN television station and visited a downtown bead shop and made a bracelet. Later, when her mother became ill, she made bracelets at night to keep awake.

People who visited Turnbough and her mother noticed the bracelets and wanted to buy them. That led Turnbough to develop a wholesale business that sells specialty bracelets for breast cancer awareness, salvation, remembrances, healing and good luck.

"Then people were asking me why I don't open a bead shop," she says, holding a necklace and bracelet made of turquoise, Swarovski crystal from Austria and sterling silver from Bali. "Since there wasn't a bead shop in Cape or Jackson, I opened this one when this property (a former house along East Jackson Boulevard) became available."

Turnbough says the average price of a bracelet is about $20, and some bracelets cost as little as $7.

"We have birthday parties here," she says. "I had a little girl's birthday party about three weeks ago, and six girls all made little bracelets. We also take beads to homes where there are parties."

Turnbough plans to have bead-making workshops.

Creative Beads carries supplies such as strings, sterling silver wire, memory wire, tools, Italian charms and necklace cups. The shop also has wood-beaded curtains, which Turnbough says "are an old idea that's coming back."