West Dundee business owner to reopen boutique as jewelry store

When Hanan Hall was 5 years old, she decided that her Barbie dolls needed jewelry.

They always seemed to have beautiful, unique clothing, she said, but they didn't have the accessories to match.

“That was how I started making jewelry — for my Barbies,” Hall said. “Then, I graduated to making jewelry for people.”

She started going to antique shops and museums in search of unique styles. She would purchase old, dilapidated pieces of jewelry, take them apart and analyze their techniques.

She joined the Elgin Rock and Mineral Society, where she learned how to tumble, polish and cut stones.

When her dad went to the hardware store, Hall was happy to go with him in search of washers, wire, copper tubing — anything she could turn into a piece of jewelry.

“It would take several lifetimes to complete all the ideas that I have,” Hall said.

To focus on her lifelong passion, Hall plans to close her West Dundee shop, Romantica Boutique, at 125 W. Main St., at the end of this year.

In its place, she will open Hanan Hall Jewelry, a shop she previously ran in San Diego and East Dundee.

“I'm going back to my roots and back to my jewelry,” Hall said. “I'm making my life simpler and happier.”

Though she grew up in the Dundee area, Hall has lived all over the country, traveling as a road musician and selling jewelry.

About 10 years ago, Hall moved to Lake Geneva, where she thought she would eventually retire. To expand her store to a wider audience, she started selling more clothing in all different sizes.

Two years into it, she met Michael Childs, an Elgin resident who became the love of her life. Two years after that, she moved herself to Elgin and her shop to West Dundee.

“I've been a part of this community forever,” Hall said, noting that she was on the committee that founded the annual Heritage Fest to attract people to the downtown area. “It's like I'm back home again.”

‘A new beginning'

Main Street hasn't had much foot traffic in recent years, Hall said, but with a redevelopment plan in the works for West Dundee's downtown, she is optimistic that the area surrounding her shop will begin to flourish.

“I'm stubborn,” she said. “I'm hoping this town will come back.”

Though she was happy to set up shop in her hometown, Hall was growing tired of trying to please every customer with new styles and more sizes of clothing.

Childs always encouraged her to return to her jewelry, she said, and about a year ago she started to seriously consider it.

After Childs died unexpectedly in June, Hall decided to take the leap.

“I've had a lot of support from the community and my customers. They know the hard road I've been down and the recent tragedy in my life,” Hall said. “It's a new beginning, and I'm embracing it.”

In the meantime, Romantica is having a closing sale through December, Hall said.

Hanan Hall Jewelry, opening early next year, will mostly display Hall's original jewelry. She will also redesign, repair and custom make pieces requested by customers.

The store will feature an open work space, where customers can watch Hall craft her jewelry.

“My focus will once again be on my creations,” she said. “It's a perfect opportunity for me to do what I love to do.”