“Maybe it was the sparkle in my eye.”

Esther Morse will never know for sure what convinced the shop owner in Fair Oaks to sell her the bead store over the other women who were vying to buy the business. She says, “Maybe it was the sparkle in my eye.”

She couldn’t believe it, here she was, an immigrant, and she was going to own a business in this country. But somehow, she knew this was her destiny. She took a leave of absence from her job at the Employment Development Department (EDD) for six months to jump into her new business.

After losing her father at a young age, her mother moved to America. Eight years after she left the family behind in Seoul, South Korea, Esther and her siblings immigrated to Rancho Cordova, and eventually Roseville in 1983, to start a new life. She’d later learn that her father had been in the import business. Although she didn’t have the chance to know him well, Esther feels like she inherited his business genes.

The bead store was booming and she never went back to her old job at the EDD. Dan, her husband of 37 years, was scheduled to transfer to Utah for his job. But the business was flourishing and Esther couldn’t leave, so Dan took early retirement and became her business partner. Together they settled into their roles. Esther took charge of managing the store, working with customers and traveling to Europe, Asia and around the US to buy for the store. Dan took care of the books, made repairs and jumped into the role of teaching himself the techniques of jewelry making. He still makes all of the samples in the store and runs the classes.

Established in 1994 at Rocky Ridge Town Center, running a business in this climate of click-to-buy is challenging. Esther acknowledges that typical retail doesn’t work any longer and she works harder than ever to stay ahead of trends and win customers from the online options. And she’s winning! A website can’t duplicate the sensation you get from touching and rolling a bead in your fingertips and feeling the weight of it in your hand. Nor can it be a substitute for a warm environment to share years of knowledge. Esther’s love of fashion and jewelry gives her a one-on-one opportunity to interact with customers, sharing her design and color sense to help them create their pieces or pick out the right crystals for their projects.

The Bead N Crystal’s Google reviews back this up. People are looking for a sanctuary – a place they can come to enjoy good energy, in a comfortable environment and interact with other people. This is something the internet can’t replicate with a click of a button.

The Bead N Crystal is a full-service bead store with a selection from around the world, many of which are handpicked and imported directly by Dan and Esther Morse. Learn more about The Bead N Crystal here.