What is your PRIVACY POLICY? We will not sell or give away your name or any information about you to anybody. Ever.

Are all of your strands really ONE OF A KIND? Yes. We have never and will never make the same strand twice. Our supply of beads is always changing, and we enjoy approaching each strand as an in-the-moment act of creativity and meditation.

I bought a strand of beads then wanted to look at the picture again but THE PICTURE HAD DISAPPEARED FROM THE SITE. Yes, as soon as a strand is bought, it disappears and another appears. As they are all one of a kind, that strand is just for you and no longer shows up on the site. To save the image of your strand simply drag it from the web page to your desktop before you finalize your order.

Is it possible that SOMEONE ELSE WILL BUY MY STRAND? That's highly unlikely, but it's possible under one condition. If you have been looking at your monitor for a while or left our webpage on your screen while you ate dinner then returned to place an order, REFRESH your screen. Someone might have bought the strand you're looking at, but that won't be apparent if you haven't refreshed. The refresh button on most browsers is an arrow with an arc for a tail.

What do you mean when you describe strands as SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE? In the descriptions of our strands, we always give the length, which is from the the tip of the amulet or tassel. We also describe our strands as small, medium, or large, and those descriptions relate to the overall bulk or weight of the strands. A small strand could be easily coiled and carried in your pants pocket. A large strand would be stately hanging on a wall. Length and bulk don't always go togehter: a long strand might be relatively lightweight, in which case we'd call it medium sized; a short strand might be made of chunky beads, in which case we'd call it medium sized. The size descriptions are our effort to give you a general sense of whether the beads in a given strand are more lightweight and delicate or more thick cut and heavy.

What if I want to SEND A STRAND AS A GIFT? You can either email us with gift information (what you'd like a note to say) or include that under comments when you send your PayPal payment. We will wrap the beads in a more decorative package than we normally use and include a note from you to your friend. Gift wrapping is an option in the shopping cart and costs $5.

Is SALES TAX included in the prices I see on the screen? No. Only orders shipped to a North Carolina address will be required to add 7% sales tax.

Do you do SPECIAL ORDERS? No. Given the way we work and the way we buy beads and amulets, we can’t guarantee we’ll have on hand what a customer wants. We are always looking for unique beads, and our inventory constantly changes. If you don’t see what you want on our web site, come back soon and you’ll see many new choices.

How can I be sure that THE COLOR I SEE ON MY SCREEN is correct? Stones and crystals have natural variations in color, but computer images can be even more variable. The problem is caused by differences in how color is “perceived” (mathematically defined) by different monitors, different operating systems, different browsers, and different software applications. For example if you’re looking at an image in Netscape on a PC with a brand new, properly calibrated Sony monitor and I’m looking at exactly the same image in Explorer on a Mac with an old, uncalibrated Mitsubishi monitor, the colors could look quite different to us. The colors of the beads on our website look correct to us, and we’ve tried to also offer clear verbal descriptions as well.

How can I get MORE INFORMATION ON AN ITEM? Email us and ask what you want to know. We’ll do our best to provide a clear answer.

How will my charge APPEAR ON MY CREDIT CARD STATEMENT? It will show up on your statement as “PayPal * prayerbeads.” At some points in the checkout process, our business name also appears as PRAYERBEADS. The reason for this is clarity on credit card statements. "Seedsofkind" (there's an 11-letter limit) would not be as clear when your credit card arrives in the mail.

How can I be sure of THE QUALITY OF YOUR BEADS? We use a wide range of beads, some much more expensive than others. We always let you know in the description what the beads are, to the best of our knowledge. Sometimes we simply don’t know what a bead is if, for example, we find a wonderful old necklace at a flea market or if a vendor doesn’t know what some beautiful stone is properly called. We will always tell you when we don’t know. If we aren’t sure whether a piece of glass is Murano (often considered the finest in the world), we’ll simply say it’s Italian and price it accordingly. If we aren’t sure whether a piece of old silver is sterling, we won’t use the word “sterling,” and, again, price it accordingly.

What is a MURANO BEAD? Murano glass and Venetian glass are synonymous. Murano is an island of Venice and is home to what is often considered the finest glass in the world. The craft of glass making has been handed down from father to son, giving birth to actual dynasties of glass masters, some of which have been active since the Middle Ages.

What is the difference between CRYSTAL AND GLASS? Crystal is made with lead oxide; glass is made with calcium oxide. It’s the lead that gives crystal its sparkle. High quality glass can be just as lovely, but it does not contain lead. If we are not sure whether a bead is crystal or glass, we’ll call it glass.

What is POLYMER? Polymer is the generic term for soft, pliable, man-made clays. When you think of clay beads, you often think of the work of children or hobbyists, but there are many outstanding beadmakers in the country working with polymer. Theirs are the only polymer beads we use.

Why are some strands so much MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHERS? We use many types of beads: glass, crystal, lampwork (a process similar to blowing glass), polymer, seeds, bone, wood, semiprecious stones, natural stone, manmade stone, enhanced (dyed) stone, base metals and precious metals. Some beads are simple, some are ornate; some are beautifully ordinary, some are rather rare. Many are handmade, some are mass produced. Obviously, some stones and materials are much more expensive than others. The pink and white stone rhodochrosite is becoming rare, most agates are not. Sterling silver is more expensive than silverplate, and sterling embedded with sparkling marcosite is even more expensive. We try to offer a wide range in terms of style and price. All three of us own strands that are more expensive and ones that are less expensive, and we love them all. Choose the strand that speaks to you.

Where can I LEARN MORE ABOUT PRAYER BEADS? There is a wonderful website that contains lots of information about different types of prayer beads with links to websites that sell them. Visit Sacred Strands: Resources For Prayer Bead and Rosary Lovers.