Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce myself: My name is Cinderella and I'm a smooth, pebble shaped bead with a soft metallic sheen.

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Latest Collection

Carrie Elspeth’s exclusive collection for Summer 2012 celebrates colour and texture in a wide variety of versatile, easy-to-wear designs. From the adorable, fun-filled Dotty, to the joyful exuberance of Rainbow Hearts there really is something for everyone. Carrie Elspeth is proud her beautiful jewellery is hand-made in Wales and now every necklace from our Summer collection comes with a branded extension chain for even more flexibility and further customer satisfaction!

Come and see the full range at one of the forthcoming trade shows.

Opulence Collection

Opulence is Carrie Elspeth’s exclusive limited edition collection: a sophisticated and luxurious range of affordable designs using an abundance of bespoke and extravagant beads, crystals and sterling silver. Borne out of a desire for complete freedom of creative expression, the popularity of Opulence has surpassed all expectations.

New and exclusive ranges are added to Opulence twice a year, comprising of fully-beaded celebrations of colour and light which come in fabulous branded packaging. If you’re looking for designer jewellery which is playful, elegant, eye-catching and affordable, then look no further than this abundant collection.

Other Collections

Since 1999 Carrie Elspeth has been designing and hand-making beautiful beaded jewellery in the Heart of South Wales. Carrie sources her beads from all over the world, keen to discover unusual and ethically-made examples which complement the contemporary styles of designer accessories that she produces.

Carrie Elspeth jewellery uses a wide variety of beads, including recycled glass, wood, crystal, pearl, silver, pewter, paper and bespoke glass pieces produced exclusively for Carrie’s designs. Every piece is still handmade in Wales, to the exacting standards of quality that Carrie has insisted upon from the outset.

The Story of the Bead

Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce myself: My name is Cinderella and I'm a smooth, pebble shaped bead with a soft metallic sheen. My path to glory wasn't glamorous however, and I want to tell you the story of my long ascent to glossy stardom.

I started life as a dull, clear glass rod, with great aspirations but a long hard toil ahead of me. I was led into the top of a furnace to soften me up, and driven out the other side into a mould which bore the shape that I was to become. Lying in the bottom half of the mould, the top half came down on a cutting arm, separating me from the other wannabes and poking a hole through my centre so I could be strung. My dream was a little closer!

I tumbled into a sorting machine and jiggled across a sieve, so all the failed chips and dowdy 'in-between' pieces would fall away into a container for re-birth at a later date. Proud of my new shape, but with a few rough edges I needed to hone, I was taken to a large bath where I was slowly washed with all the other successful applicants. It took almost four days, tumbling in slow motion, rubbing against the others in a large mixer half-filled with water.

I emerged dizzy but luxuriously silky-smooth, and I was left to rest and recover in a large bucket with thousands of others of all shapes and sizes, but I still knew I was special! Some of the others had been formed from coloured glass and their journey in the factory was over, but greater things were planned for me.

We were then taken to another room where we were dipped in a fixative varnish to make sure my beautiful new clothes stay on, and finally left in peace to dry, and reflect on our new beginnings.

Some racks were taken back for extra layers of colour, but I was perfect as I was and left alone. After we were completely dry, I lost some personal space as we had to snuggle up together on our string, but it kept us warm on the cold journey outside and overseas to our new lives.

When light flooded into our box and I was pulled out on my string I gazed with wonderment around the brightly lit room that I would learn to call my new home. Carrie Elspeth gently held me and pored over me, and soon I was one of her favourite new designs and being photographed like the star I always knew I would be.

Lights flashed, I gleamed, and now you can see my picture in this lovely website, as I flaunt my new graceful beauty. Not bad for a humble piece of glass from Eastern Europe! I wonder what life has in store for me in the future? Who will I meet, and where will I go?

Cinderella Bead.