Imagine a store full of glass jars, from floor to ceiling, all filled with beads in every color, size and shape you can imagine. That's Coppenhagen Beads on Rozengracht. Founded in 1926, almost a hundred years ago, and never left the Jordaan since. It is the oldest bead store in the Netherlands, and you can feel that as soon as you step inside.
It began with Samuel and Jacob Coppenhagen, who founded the business in 1926. The family built something that not many businesses manage: passing on the same passion for generations. In 1964, it was André Coppenhagen who set a milestone by opening the first bead store in all of Europe on Bloemgracht. Now, more than sixty years later, Niko and Hillian Coppenhagen are behind the counter. Fourth generation, same store, same glass jars.
That the space on Rozengracht is small only makes it denser. At the tables in the store you can sit down without a reservation and get right to work. Tools are ready, the assortment is in front of you. You choose your beads, you string them, and you take home something you made yourself. That concept has been the same for decades, and it still works. Jewelry repairs are also offered there, for those who want something beautiful repaired.
Niko Coppenhagen designed a bead with the three St. Andrew's crosses on it, the symbol of the city. For those who want something that is truly from here.
Rozengracht is a busy street, but Coppenhagen Beads is the kind of store where time seems to go a little slower. Groups can also go there for two-hour workshops, guided and with tools included. But really, you don't have to wait for anything. Just walk in, sit at a table, and see what emerges. Almost a hundred years of Coppenhagen has proven that's a good idea.