[Jewelry making - Article 00297] - Re: [Orchid] Supply shops near Chicago?

[linlahlum]

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    I did a fairly thorough search last winter. There are few if any
    Chicago area Jewelry material suppliers with a storefront anymore. I
    used to buy from Bartlett's when I or my husband worked downtown. I
    did reach them on the phone last winter and was told that they no
    longer do any walk-in sales: everything is mailorder or internet
    sales. Apparently it is not cost-effective to staff a store. In the
    north suburbs, Wheeling, there was a store called Forslev's for
    years. They, too, are now all internet sales. They are now in
    Libertyville. At least if you order from them it should not take
    days to arrive (one hopes). They did carry a good assortment of
    supplies, and prices were not bad, if not the very cheapest. I have
    not ordered from them in a while. 

    Last winter I opened up the yellow pages and called every place I
    could find. I spent half a day calling (I was desperate for Liver Of
    Sulfur ASAP). Since the jeweler's building (Maller's Building, full
    of small trade shops, stone dealers, and repair shops)is downtown,
    I'm convinced there must be a walk-in location somewhere downtown to
    cater to what they need in a hurry. I no longer know anyone who
    works downtown. Someday, when I'm there anyway to go to an exhibit
    at the Art Institute, I plan to walk in, go from shop to shop, and
    ask. Of course, I'm assuming that the jeweler's building is still
    there! That was the place that had the big explosion and fire a year
    ago last October, but I heard it had not been shut down. 

    I did finally find my LOS at a place called SEP Tools, on Wabash,
    near Monroe. My husband ran the errand: he did not look to see if
    they looked like a full supply house. I assume not. 

    Depending on what you are looking for, some bead shops carry some
    supplies, especially since more people are doing PMC. I have found
    some stocking limited silver sheet and wire, simple tools, etc. But
    you'll pay a lot more at a bead shop, probably offset by what you'd
    pay to have something overnighted from a catalog. In Evanston there
    was a rock shop Called "Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop", that
    carried some things. I spent all my spare change there in college. I
    think it's still there. There's some Evanstonians on list: perhaps
    they know. 

    If you find something, please post it! I'm sure there's a need. 

---Lin Lahlum


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