Ask the Beadmeister.
Q: So, why South Pacific?
When I got to Boston from Hawaii on June 30, 1977, I had no name for my business. When in August I finally made my way into a Postal Instant Press and had some business cards made up describing what I was selling, i.e. South Pacific coral, heishi and shell jewelry with my name as the business name, the printer laid out the card like this:
Q: It seems like you make a lot of jokes on your webite. How do I know you'll be serious about my order and help me if I have a problem with it?
A. Good question. I belong to an organization called The Misanthropic Good Samaritans. We hate it but we are pathologically helpful. We drive around on weekends looking for people so stupid they've done something obvious that requires our help then we cheerfully pitch in. Fulfilled.
Q: I met someone special today and want to know what the "Official" stone/gift is for the first day of a relationship?
A. Good question. When you've met "The One" and want to celebrate your first day with gift giving the "Official" stone/gift is Iron Pyrite.
Q: Can anyone purchase from South Pacific at wholesale prices?
A. Our prices listed are wholesale prices and are available to everyone, albeit, you'll enjoy the price breaks you'll get for ordering more items.
Q: Do you require a business license to purchase wholesale?
A. No., Just go ahead and select your merchandise and place your order. If we are shipping to Vermont or you visit our showroom we will charge you sales tax if we don't have your tax number on file.
Q: What is your minimum order?
A. No minimum order but a $5 handling charge for orders under $15.
Q: What is the average time to process an
order once it is received?
A. Average time is a day and a half, working days and half days, not Saturdays and Sundays. It is in my self interest to get your order out quickly.
Q: How do you ship my order?
A. About 60% of our orders go out Postal and the rest UPS. We can pack a lot of beads into a Postal Flat Rate Box for $9.85. It's a great deal to Hawaii. I'd use the Postal Service to the west coast and inland from the west coast.
Q: Do you ship outside of the United States?
A. Yes, via the Post Office. We won't ship to countries we feel uneasy about or can't insure our packages to. Can you spell Nigeerier? (That's how Jerry Remy pronounces it.)
Q: What methods of payment to you accept?
A. We accept MC, Visa, American Express, Discover, Paypal, the obvious (cash).
Q: Do you offer open accounts or COD orders?
A. No, Sorry, we do not offer credit terms or COD shipments. I've gotten too old to hunt "them" down. "They" have ruined it for everyone.
Q: You've been successful so long. What is your secret? Do you have someone watching over you?
A. Yes, my patron saint is St. Ciare of Assisi, the patron saint of television. She brings me live sports on TV so I can work an extra 3 - 8 hours a night and every weekend.
Q: Why don't my beads look just like the picture?
A.Stones are made by Mother Nature. She appreciates diversity. The colors and amounts of inclusions in natural stones vary considerably. Yellow turquoise is sometimes mostly yellow, sometimes mostly black, probably serpentine. Lapis may be dark or light. And the color of some stones, like rose quartz, fades over time when exposed to light. Etc., etc., etc. Find out more about Mother Nature at
www.thorntonburgess.org.
Some humans try to one-up Mother Nature when not pleased with her work: some stones, like aventurine and garnet, may be dyed or otherwise treated to enhance their color. We let you know if we think a particular stone is dyed but we don't always get it right.
Click on the link below to see examples of how much some natural stones can vary.
STONE ILLUSTRATIONS
Q: How big is a millimeter?
A: A millimeter is very, very small. You need more than three of them to make an eighth of an inch. A pea is about 6mm. See our
Millimeter, Inch, Gauge chart for specifics.
Q: Is your new site still a Michael Stipe free zone and is your work place still a Michael Stipe-free workplace?
A.Yes and yes. Other than this you will find no references to Michael Stipe on my website and we are still a Michael Stipe-free work place. It's an OSHA thing I think or should be.
Q: Is beading addictive? I mean, is this something I should worry about?
A. No, not at all. I've been working with beads every day for over 31 years and I'm not addicted. Funny story though. I was abused in the basement of a church when I was three and passed it on as an adult. You see, my Mom sent me to nursery school and on day one they made us string macaroni necklaces at a picnic table and when I got home I declared to my mother I wasn't going back to that place because men don't make necklaces and she couldn't make me. I was an easy three year old to get along with if you didn't cross me.
Q: How do I learn more about Vermont?
A. Watch the latest rap about us. Who said white peoples don't have rhythm and soul?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL7uW4TYqbs
Q: Does size matter?
A. Important! Size does count! Beads below 4mm are usually more expensive than 4mm or even5mm beads because you are paying for the labor, not the material. There are many more 2mm beads than 4mm on a strand. I estimate twice as many.
Q. State stone and gem of Massachusetts?A.Rhodonite is the state gem and Roxbury pudding stone is the state rock.
Q. Are you a green business?
A. Yes, I am a registered member and supporter of ihatecilantro.com.
Q. State stone and gem of Massachusetts?
A.Rhodonite is the state gem and Roxbury pudding stone is the state rock.
Q. If I buy an item from you that is described as UGLY, who do I whine to when I don't like it?
A. Who do you think?
Frequently Asked Questions 
