Worldwide origins. Designed in Dallas.

Allie + Bess's signature colorful beads are crafted and sourced from all over the world. Each piece is individually designed by this best friend duo and is inspired by their personal style. When they started in 2019, Allie and Bess sat around their kitchen tables together making each piece. As they grew, they began to include and employ local refugees. To this day, A+B's popular Zo, Vinyl, and speciality styles are still handmade by these talented artisans. What started as one bracelet has evolved to over 1,000 pieces including necklaces and earrings. ALLIE+BESS remains located in Dallas, Texas with a growing team of women bringing color, style, and a whole lot of joy to their community of customers.

The founders—and friends—behind this growing community of color

Jewelry design was not on the radar for Allie or Bess, two style-savvy Dallas moms who know all about juggling busy schedules. Both were working in the medical field when they met in 2010 (Allie, an occupational therapist; Bess, a speech pathologist) and became fast friends. Ten years—and numerous life changes—later, the pair were having coffee, contemplating their next chapter. “We were both burned out on the medical setting,” says Bess. “While therapy does have a creative element, we wanted a different way to express our artistic side.” Over four years later, the rest is history!

The Black Bead

Near the beginning, Allie and Bess received some good business advice: create a trademark for your pieces. Cue the famous black beads! In their first bracelets, A+B included 5 black vinyl beads as a symbol of their 5 kids. Today it's evolved into a black element or bead in every piece. Not only does it make their jewelry easy to spot, but also serves as a constant reminder of their biggest why.

The Idea to Start Allie + Bess Jewelry

The idea came about organically. “Both of us have always loved fashion and wore a lot of bracelets,” says Allie. “We weren’t really loving what was in the market,” adds Bess. “But then we saw the first vinyl beads we used, we fell in love with them.” 

The next step? Teaching themselves how to make bracelets using a mix of beads sourced from all over the world. Among their favorites: vulcanite, a higher-end African bead available in a rainbow of colors. Adding in Indian gold discs upped the chic factor. Each A+B piece also features a black bead element, representing the pair’s five children. 

“It’s fun seeing what we can create,” says Bess. The possibilities are limitless. Despite having very different looks—Allie is more trendy and funky; Bess, classic and timeless—they’re able to convey their own unique aesthetic by the way they style their jewelry. Their hope is that with the diversity of beads and colors they offer, you can express your own individual style with ease!