Bead Me by Linda Minor

Linda Minor, a member of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths and the former fashion buyer for J.C. Penney and Belk department stores, sells handmade creations and teaches jewelry-making classes within Bead Me’s spacious 1,200-square-foot shop. She draws from her style expertise to create necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with pearls, coral, turquoise, Swarovski crystals, and semiprecious gemstones. In many of her pieces, she use copper—an eco-friendly metal that’s fade- and bacteria-resistant.

During fun BYOB classes, she imparts her beading know-how to students of all skill levels, giving them hands-on practice with metal-manipulation techniques such as fold forming and reverse psychology.