Loyal To Them For Years

Rings 'N Things

Back when I started making jewelry, Rings 'N' Things was one of the first catalogs I came across. I quickly found the online store and made it my sole supplier when starting up my jewelry making business. Over the past several years, I've ordered hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from Rings 'N' Things online, and have yet to be disappointed.

Rings 'N' Things is a supplier exclusively for retail or resellers. and you will be asked to supply your tax permit number when you order from R&T the first time. A state retail sales tax permit is readily available through your state's Department of Revenue web site. (If you are getting into the jewelry business, most craft and art shows do require that you have a tax ID.)

From the home page (rings-things.com), you will find a variety of different areas of the "store" to visit. Peruse the Design Gallery for design ideas, browse the Project section for project sheets that will give detailed instructions on how to create jewelry, home accessories and other items, or virtually chat with other jewelers on theDiscussion Boards.lots of additional news, links and other information available as well. Joining in the Discussion Board, you will find lively dialogue between expert staff, the owner (Russ Nobbs), and other jewelers across the country.

The Online Store has a good search engine and the categories are set up so browsing by type of bead, finding, or other jewelry-related topic (books, fixtures, stringing material) is easy. Simple click and add to your shopping cart functionality.one of the things I do NOT like about R&T's web site is that I can only add single quantities and single items to my cart at one time. I can update my shopping cart to add multiple quantities, which will also update the dollar totals if additional discounts apply, but this is extra clicking, and I'd rather just be able to indicate quantities the first time I add something to the shopping cart.

A plus for the shopping cart is that when you create an account, all information except your credit card number is kept in the database. No need to reenter with every order!

Minimum order is $25, but you won't have any problem making that. There is a service charge of $4 for orders between $25-50, but again, it's easy to get to $51 shopping at R&T if you're a bead addict like me!

One of the vast improvements R&T has made in 2005 was to add photographs (versus line drawings) to 99% of their online catalog and paper catalog. I am always pleased with the quality of the items I receive, and they are exactly as depicted. Occasionally, you may find a product that the item was "missing on picture day", but these are few and far between. R&T is very good at providing a detailed description, including size and stringing direction of the beads on the site.

Quality and selection are excellent for the beginning jewelry artist. R&T has a good assortment of glass, Swarovski crystals, and selected gemstones, and a decent selection of pewter and base-metal beads and findings. Sterling, Bali, and Hill Tribe silver, vermeil, gold-filled and gold-plated choices are less abundant in selection, but are still good quality and average pricing. R&T is usually not the "best" price on common items, but does have some superb shapes and sizes of semi-precious stones and other beads that are not found on other sites. Discount pricing on multiple quantities of the same item, but discounts on assortables is not (if you are ordering 1 gram each of pink, purple, green, black, and red Furnace Glass assortments, you will not get a price break for ordering 5 grams total.)

Shipping is reasonable and fast. Unless I am getting a huge number of heavy stones or findings, I normally chose the USPS Priority Shipping, which is $3.85 and arrives 2-3 days after my order is placed. (Cost may vary based on your order and location.) Product arrives in excellent condition, packaged carefully with a Tootsie Roll Midget and Jolly Rancher candy thrown in just for fun.

Returns are easy - I have had to return one or two items that just weren't what I thought they would be (my fault, not R&T's). No prior authorization required or restocking fee, just return unopened unused merchandise with a copy of your shipping invoice within 30 days of purchase. If you have opened or older merchandise, contact their helpful Customer Service department for assistance.

One of the best benefits of being an R&T customer is the personal invite to the traveling Trunk Shows. R&T staff visit several locations twice a year, bringing thousands of strands of beads at huge discounts. Many of these beads are not available on the web site or through the paper catalog. A limited number of findings, silver, pewter and other jewelry-making components are also available at the trunk show, but they are not deep-discounted. Plus, if you place an order at the Trunk Show, all shipping is free! Visit the web site for upcoming Trunk Show locations.

Bottom line, I've been a loyal Rings 'N' Things customer since 2000. Russ and the staff at R&T have been in business since 1972, and the longevity of the business speaks volumes. The online store is a favorite supplier of mine due to good prices, quality, and outstanding customer service. For jewelers who are making the move beyond hobby status to semi-professional, R&T is a great place to start purchasing your jewelry-making supplies!