Jennifer Niemela, the store's general manager, and Adri Lembke, assistant manager and store owner, were ecstatic when they found the building after months of searching for a home for their newfound business. Both entrepreneurs were working at Denver's Crazy Merchant, a bead store and event space, when it closed unexpectedly in January. Unwilling to leave the jewelry and beading world, the women decided to open their own shop.
"I think all of us cried about" the Crazy Merchant closing, Niemela remembers. "We all loved it. I actually have my two other assistant managers [from the Crazy Merchant] working here with us now. We all kind of held on, because what we love to do is sell beads and crystals."
Crystal Castle Beads offers jewelry-making supplies and classes as well as live music.
Julianna O'Clair
Although the shop opened on October 17, Crystal Castle Beads' grand-opening party happened October 26 to 28 and included henna, free bracelet making, live music, a vendor market and a costume contest. It was a great introduction to a multi-faceted local business set to flourish in Denver's creative community, as well as offer a live-music venue.
At the grand-opening party, Crystal Castle Beads welcomed twelve vendors, including artist Rebecca Kiwi-Barnstien, Eye Rise Art and Krafty Witch Wonders. Live music by local DJ and electronic musician Tyler Newberry drifted downstairs from the castle's indoor event space on the second floor.
Niemela's goal is that the space will host monthly indoor markets that showcase local vendors and monthly live music performances. For Crystal Castle concerts, all genres are welcome — the business just wants to focus on supporting local musicians, and many are recruited for performances by word of mouth. The venue will have live music at its Holiday Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 18, and Saturday, December 9.
Crystal Castle Beads also has jewelry-making classes in the works, with every level of creation from simple bracelets with professional closings to wire-wrapping cabochon pendants. "We're going to bring some outside instructors in, and then eventually we want to bring in spiritual-growth classes," Niemela says.
Both women have been creating and selling jewelry since childhood, a part-time hobby that eventually enveloped them in the bead and jewelry business. They're familiar with the struggle of sourcing quality supplies and finding the perfect piece to complete a project. In fact, Lembke discovered the Crazy Merchant in 2022 after scouring multiple craft stores for orange-seed beads.
"Luckily [the Crazy Merchant] had a huge selection, but it was nice because I met some of the managers there and just said hi to people," Lembke says. "I asked if they were hiring, and eventually got a job there and got to know the team for a good three months before [the shop] disappeared."
Lembke's work captures moods and emotions, and, as expected, she's a seed beading expert. She makes 3-D seed-bead creatures like dragons, spiders and butterflies — an immense feat for her chosen minuscule bead medium. She's also partial to pieces that incorporate amethyst or tourmaline, a stone that really speaks to her.
Niemela's jewelry is inspired by "the ocean and nature. Movement, architecture," she reflects. "I'm a travel freak, so a lot of times, if I'm not feeling inspired, I just need to go on a trip. And then something about the culture, colors, architecture [and] scenery just inspire me."
One of her first pieces of homemade jewelry was a pendant-and-necklace set she fastened from sliced seashells when she was ten years old, and much of her work still features seashells with gemstone accents. All of the Crystal Castle Beads staff members are avid jewelers and have handmade pieces for sale in the shop.
The castle-inspired building is also home to two co-tenant businesses, both owned by Doug Perry: a jewelry manufacturing and wholesale business, Pierret Designs; and its retail jewelry shop, Aura Jewelry Designs.
"It's really cool, because it's like this one-stop jewelry shop," Niemela says. "We've got Doug, and he is a goldsmith and has two different businesses. He's got his Aura Jewelry Designs — that's his jewelry that he designs exclusively under his name. And then he has Pierret Designs, and that is...jewelry manufacturing, basically. A lot of jewelry designers will come and get their castings done from him."
"If you came in and you're like, 'I want this beaded necklace with amethyst and then a diamond motif custom silver piece,' between the two businesses, we can make it happen," she adds. "So it's kind of cool, because it's this dreamy jewelry mecca under one roof."
Niemela concludes: "We want to be your happy place to come and shop and just have beautiful vibes, get good energy and get your creative juices flowing. A safe, happy place for you to come enjoy, create, learn and gather with community."
Crystal Castle Beads, 2240 South Broadway, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
