About Us
Who we are, and how Beadazzled and Bead-Zone have become one...
My name is Penelope Diamanti. My dad's diplomatic career led our family all around the world, an amazing experience on so many levels, Beads found me in Gabon in West Africa as an 8-year-old, and really hooked me 12 years later in the Ivory Coast. They eventually drew me to all the other places I've traveled to collect them: Ghana, Guatemala, Peru, India, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia and more...
I did go to school (MA Journalism) and got "real" jobs (Library of Congress and National Geographic Society), but beads kept calling me back. I kept selling beads and jewelry on the side, at fairs, and wholesale trade shows, until they became my full-time work in 1986.
In 1989 I opened Beadazzled in Washington DC and grew the business to include stores in Baltimore and Northern Virginia as well. My goal was to create the ultimate bead store, the one I'd always wanted to shop in. With my great team, I think we succeeded. And I had the best life I could imagine, traveling the world to shop for beads for nearly 30 years.
I started Bead-Zone as a retirement gig during the pandemic in 2021. Rather than a full-service bead store, I offered a peek into my studio, posting the beads I've loved best and used most over the years, as well as some odd things I've collected along the way. Many items are one-of-a-kind, or limited, so get them while you can. With the input of long time customers I filled the Gemstone Collection, then African, Asian, Metal, Glass, Organic and Pendants.
When I acquired a large part of the Beadazzled Falls Church store's inventory after it closed. I began to fill the Tools & More Collection as well as adding many items to other collections monthly.
In May 2024, on Bead-Zone's third anniversary, adopted the name Beadazzled again. It better represents what this website is now. I also hope it will help more of our Beadazzled store customers to find us online.
Nomadic Jewelry and the Maya Beadwork Collections werethe newest additions, while the essence of Bead-Zone is preserved in the Bead-Zone Collection where you can find all the unique and special things from my personal collection and travels pulled together into one place. The website continues to be a major work in progress so please be patient and keep checking back.
I hope you'll enjoy discovering new beads as we keep evolving. I'm doing my best to help meet all your beading needs. Deborah McClintock, former manager of the DC Beadazzled store is not helpiing me part time, and when I'm traveling in search of search of more treasures, Kathleen Manning, whom many of you will remember as the Assistant Manager of Beadazzled DC,also helps out with filling orders.
I wouldn't be here without the support of other wonderful members of the Beadazzled team, and our tens of thousands of customers over the years. I hope you will find both treasures and bargains here, and that you'll be inspired by the jewelry and more. We beaders know that getting new beads sparks creative energy to use some old ones in new ways. Happy Beading!
Penny
How We Document Materials and Provenance
Transparency about what a bead is made of and where it comes from has always mattered at Beadazzled. Here is how we approach materials documentation and provenance in our listings:
Material naming. We identify materials as specifically as the bead warrants — for example, distinguishing hand-wound glass from pressed glass, natural stone from dyed or stabilized stone, or brass from base metal. When a material is uncertain or composite, we say so.
Origin and sourcing notes. Many beads were purchased directly on sourcing trips to West Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America over four decades. Where we know the country or region of origin, we include it in the listing. Where we don't, we don't guess.
Age versus reproduction language. We use the word "vintage" for items we believe to date from roughly the mid-20th century or earlier based on our experience handling similar pieces. We use "antique" sparingly and only when age is well-supported by the bead's characteristics. When a bead is a contemporary reproduction of a historic style, we say so plainly. We do not use age language as a marketing shorthand.
When provenance is uncertain. A bead with no clear documentation will be described by what we can observe — material, construction method, style, likely region — rather than by claims we cannot support. Phrases like "believed to be" or "consistent with" signal where we are offering an informed opinion rather than a confirmed fact.
If you have questions about a specific item, please reach out before purchasing. Browse our African Beads collection for examples of how this approach looks in practice.