Desert Gems, Lakewood

Over the course of two decades, the glint of gemstones, polished beads, glass pearls, and sterling-silver chains on the shelves at Desert Gems have inspired countless crafters to create their own personalized jewelry. The shop's veteran staff leads workshops for novice and advanced beaders that cover foundational beading techniques, as well as leather- and wire-wrapping and advanced bead stitching. Between its stock of glass pearls and Turkish beads, Desert Gems carves out a third of the space in its store for rocks, minerals, carvings, and alien-crafted obelisks gathered from around the world.