Without jewelry, pearls would be nothing but oyster gallstones and treasure chests would contain nothing but dirty back issues of the Economist. Embrace the power of bling with today's Groupon: for $10, you get a two-hour introductory beading course at Grand River Beads and Gift Gallery in Rocky River (a $20 value).

Grand River Beads and Gift Gallery's festive interior, bedecked with the creations of more than 30 different jewelry and visual artists, houses top-notch beading facilities staffed by a team of local experts, each specializing in a different jewelry-making technique. The two-hour introductory class initiates burgeoning bead jockeys into the secrets of earring, bracelet, necklace, and medieval manacle construction. Materials are not included in the cost of the class; however, students will be able to choose craft-worthy circlets from Grand River's endless bead well. Wood, bone, lampwork glass, silver, gold, copper, and many other stringable options are on sale at the shop and available to inspire future projects.

Grand River owner Eva Sherman's work has been feature in several publications, and she and her equally skilled team offer an impressive class selection for post-beginner endeavors. Advanced courses and facilities are available for metal smithing, precious metal clays, glass fusion services, and subatomic particle stringing. When not bejeweling laypeople, Grand River operates a full gift shop, offering prettifying presents for beading-school dropouts.

Reviews

The Plain Dealer featured Grand River Beads and Gift Gallery, and Cleveland CityVoters rave about the store:

• "Our classes are probably our biggest draw," says owner Eva Sherman. "We view jewelry as an art form. We have a great team of local instructors, and we bring in nationally known instructors several times a year." – Kim Crow, Special to the Plain Dealer
• Fantastic shop!! Owner is widely published, knowledgeable, friendly, and patiently helpful! – Teresa A., CityVoter