This page is geared to Rockhounds in the Greater Toronto Area in Southern Ontario because that is where this web site originates from. Although the Internet is great source, most of what is available online is from the USA & shipping & import duties add significantly to cost of things. For this reason, we have decided to present a page which reflects the recommendations of the Rockhounds we know.  If you know of a source that you think would be great for hobbyists to know about, the drop us a line. This is an evolving project.

Things for sale can be rocks, minerals, fossils, lapidary & wireworking supplies, stained glass supplies and beads. Stone sculptures and decorative pieces are also often found in these stores. All of these shops have a home store, and some also sell at fairs and shows. Some offer hobby related classes. In general, it is fair to say that the owners of these shops are knowledgeable & friendly. As you get to know them, you will find that they are as passionate about your hobby as you are!;-)

Be sure to call ahead and make sure they are open when you plan to visit. Although there are probably many more, these are the ones we know of that are fairly easily accessible from the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario. A few of the suppliers are OnLine & we know of people who recommend these sites and they ship to Canada.

1. Rock Shops & Rocks, Minerals, Wirework & Jewellery Making supplies
2. Lapidary Equipment, Services & Supplies
3. Tools & Safety Equipment
4. Agate Art & Stained Glass
5. Soapstone & Ornamental Rocks
6. Wood Hobby, Turning & Related Findings

1) Rock Shops & Rocks, Minerals, Wirework & Jewellery Making supplies & Classes
These stores sell rough, cabs, findings, jewellery making tools, wire, mineral specimens, sculptures. Some supply services unique to our hobby.

• Ambient Enterprise Inc. Markham Sells beading supplies. http://www.gemsnbeads.com/
   
• Arton Beads Toronto Toronto Queen St. Beading Supplies http://www.artonbeads.net/

  BeadFX is a bead shop that sells beading supplies & has lessons. It sells C-Lon cord. It is located in the Eglington & Victoria Park area in Toronto. http://www.beadfx.com/
   

• Bead Rock is a store in Ajax Ontario that not only sells beads & stones, but also offers Jewellery Making Workshops. Wireworking is one aspect of the rockhounding hobby that many people enjoy. http://www.beadrock.ca/index.html
   
• Bling Bling on Queen Toronto 448 Queen St. Beads
• Blue Sapphire Beads   Maple  http://www.bluesapphirebeads.com/  The owners of this store host The Gem Expo - a new Jewellery, Bead & Mineral show in Toronto.

  Canada Beading Supply  This supplier is present at most Ontario rock & gem shows. Ottawa www.canbead.com
   

• Crystal Palace Gems Minerals Toronto These dealers appear to offer their wares online and at the CNE http://www.crystal-palaces.com/about-us
   
• DeSerres Richmond Hill This is a well established fine art supply store (formerly Loomis & Tooles) that has a decent range of jewellery making supplies. A store has just opened up near us at Yonge & 16th Avenue  9325 Yonge St. Richmond Hill   http://www.deserres.ca/en-CA/  Other locations in the GTA are on Spadina Ave, Danforth East and Eglington Ave.
   
• Eisinger Canada Ltd. http://www.eisingercanada.com/  1111 Finch Ave. West #34, Toronto ON Jewellery tools & equipment
   
• Fabucraft Beads   100 Steeles Avenue West Unit 31B  Thornhill / Woodbridge ON  http://www.beadsfabucraft.com/  Lots of rock & mineral beads and supplies for the beader & lapidary enthusiast.
   
• Fancy Gems and Accessories Toronto Queen St. Bead Supplies http://www.facebook.com/FancyGems

  Gem Capital specializes in South American Gemstones. They have a location on Danforth in Toronto as well as a store in Markham. http://www.gemcapital.ca/
   

• Gesswein Canada  www.gessweincanada.com  317 Atwell Dr. Rexdale, ON Jewellery tools & equipment
   
• Gifts from the Earth  320 Danforth Ave, Toronto Minerals, fossils & jewellery  http://www.giftsfromtheearth.ca/site2/Gifts_from_the_Earth_Toronto.html
   
• Gneiss Guy Minerals & Fossils Warehouse  820 Gartshore St. Unit #19, Fergus ON  N1M 2W8  http://www.gneissguy.ca/ These dealers can be found at most local rock & gem shows.
   
• Handy & Harman http://www.handyharman.com/hhcanada.php Metal Suppliers
   
• H&W Perrin http://www.perrinwatchparts.com/   90 Thorncliffe Park Drive Toronto  Watch & Jewellery tools & equipment
   
• Lacy & Company - 69 Queen St. East, 2nd floor Toronto, ON  1-800-387-4466, 416-365-1375 http://www.lacytools.ca/
  • Jewellery making supplies, lapidary, silver smithing
     
• London Beadery  Classes & Supplies for beaders.  London ON  Lots of rock & mineral beads and supplies for the beader & lapidary enthusiast. http://londonbeadery.com/
   
• McDonald and Wang Wholesale Gemstone  9 Bertrand Ave, Toronto 647-725-5343 cell 416-898-4788 David & Lois McDonald  Cabs, Beads, Findings
   
• Michaels Canada - Toronto, ON & elsewhere  http://canada.michaels.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-MichaelsCanada-Site/default/Home-Show
  • This arts & craft chain store has a wide selection of tools & materials for wireworkers
     
• Michael J Bainbridge Photography Minden This photography studio will photograph your mineral collection. http://www.theoccurrence.ca/Bainbridge%20Photo.pdf
   
• NHARO! Fair Trade African Art & Products  Toronto  http://www.nharo.com/  The owners of this store have a personal connection with an art cooperative in Africa and import many beautiful sculptures made of rocks & minerals.
   
• Rio Grande Jewelry Making  http://www.riogrande.com/ A large selection of wirework & jewellery making suplies.
   
• RockStarCrystals  Manhattan, New York (OK so this is a bit far from the GTA) www.rockstarcrystalsmanhattan.com 150 W 28th St, Suite 201B (Second Floor), New York We have over 140 different crystals and minerals from around the world, and we even carry fossils, shells, and meteorites -  many at reasonable prices that kids can afford.
   
• Silver Dawn Jewels  Vaughan Affordable, quality beading components - findable on Facebook
   
• Stockade Supply - Guelph, ON 1-800-463-0929  https://stockade.ca/
  • This is  a Woodworker & Crafters supplier that has a mailorder catalogue & web site.
  • It has beads, craft wire, wire jigs, jewellery making tools, findings and other jewellery craft items
     
• Stones & Findings - Premium Wholesale Jewellery Components  Toronto http://www.stonesandfindings.com/ This company is at a number of shows and also has occassional sales where the prices are as if you were buying wholesale.
   
• Toth's Fossil's and Minerals  Ingersoll, Ontario - This is a family run business with a large selection of rocks & minerals. - http://tothsfossilsandminerals.com/ 
   
• The Beadery Toronto Queen St. Beading supplies & jewellery findings. http://www.thebeadery.ca/

  That Bead Lady  Newmarket  Beading supplies & classes.  http://www.thatbeadlady.com/
  Beading Class List :  http://www.thatbeadlady.com/Class-List
   

• The Rock Store  Ed mirvish Village, Toronto This is a crystal healing centre that also carries rocks & minerals. http://www.therockstore.ca/
   
• The Russian Stone  Centre Point Mall, Toronto These dealers are at most local rock & gem shows and carry minerals as well as jewellery. http://www.therussianstone.com/index.php
   
• Umicore Jewellery and Industrial Metals  Markham Metal Supplier http://www.umicorepreciousmetals.com/Home/Aboutus/
   
• Walmart Canada - Toronto, ON & elsewhere  http://www.walmart.ca/en
  • We are told that the craft section in this chain store has craft wire and other items useful for wireworkers

2) Lapidary Equipment, Services & Supplies

• GMB Services Richmond Hill If you need to have a rock cut, slabbed or polished, contact us.
   
• Robert Hall Originals 138 Sugar Maple Rd, St. George, Ontario N0E 1N0 http://www.roberthalloriginals.com/
  • lapidary equipment such as tumblers, grinders & arbors, saws
  • rough, cabs, slabs, rocks
     
• Rock of Ages Lapidary & Crafts  - Kleinburg, ON  10477 Islington Ave. 905-893-1022
  • This location is said to have tumblers. Call to confirm.

3) Tools & Safety Equipment

• Lee Valley Tools  - Toronto, ON & elsewhere  http://www.leevalley.com/en/home.aspx
  • respirators, face shields
  • craft supplies are mainly for woodworkers but some are applicable like clock parts & pen set findings
  • Classes in many wood related hobbies

4) Agate Art & Stained Glass

• A.J. Stained Glass ~ Artistic Glass This is a well established glass supply & hobbyist store that also provides classes. The store is located near High Park in Toronto ON http://www.artisticglass.com/AJStainedGlassSupply.htm
   
• Fantasy in Glass is Toronto's premier source of stained glass supplies which can also be used in making agate art. 703 The Queensway Toronto ON  http://www.fantasyinglass.com/fantasyinglass.com/Welcome.html
  • solder, grinders, copper foil
     
• Glass Crafters (US based - online orders) http://www.glasscrafters.biz/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT
   
• Glasstronomy Studios  2600 John St. Unit 108 Thornhill Stained glass studio & supplies. This is a studio that promotes the glass hobbyist community and specializes in fused glass & classes. http://www.glasstronomystudios.ca/
   
• Nickates Art Glass Inc. (US based - online orders) http://www.nickates.com/index.html Stained glass supplies
   
• Stained Glass by Carl is a small studio that also sells stained glass supplies like solder & copper foil.
  10 Peter Street, Markham ON  http://www.glass-works.ca/index.htm
   
• Sunshine Glassworks Ltd. Buffalo, NY USA This well stocked shop is within driving distance of Toronto & sells online as well. http://www.sunshineglass.com/

5) Soapstone & Ornamental Rocks

• Cedar Creek Studio 4474 Old Scugog Road, Hampton ON This family run business has a great variety of decorative stones for landscaping purposes. These include white onyx, driftwood stone (petrified wood), basalt & over 40 varieties of colourful stones. http://www.cedarcreekcanada.com/aboutus.html

   

• Chinese Soapstone & Wen's Art World  Toronto ON  Wen is a talented stone sculptor who does jade and soapstone carvings & ice sculptures. He also sells soapstone from his warehouse (by appointment)
  http://www.chinesesoapstone.com/
   
• Stoneman Distributors - London ON 519-668-3996  http://stonemandist.homestead.com/index.html Supplier of sopastone and carving tools

• Artistic Wood & Tool Supply Inc.  Toronto  www.Woodchuckers.com  Exotic woods, findings for wood & stone crafts like pen sets, clocks, small projects. Offers turning classes - including turning jewellery. Some soapstone.
   
• Century Mill Lumber  Stouffville  www.centurymill.com Lumber, burls, exotic wood for small projects & turnings. Great source of wood for bases or projects.
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