Day 91: Ritual Adornmnets

I was saving Ritual Adornments -- I was going to blog about how it is my favorite store in the world. It is so much more than a bead store. When you walk in, Joni Mitchell or Spearhead is cranked up - that's when you know this is not Michael's craft shop. You take a gourd, write the price of things on little plastic baggies as you add them to your gourd. There is a wall of beads, stones, wood. There are spools of wire and chain. There is a vast selection of pearls and semi-precious stones. There are pendants, lockets, Thai silver, vermeil charms and findings. There are cases of high-end semi-precious and precious stones, and there is a case of finished jewelry ranging from the stuff the women who work there make, to gorgeous, unique 22k pieces from India.

Last night Nnogo stopped by and asked if I had heard that Ritual Adornments is closing its doors. I was shocked. I made her show me the email that says they are moving to Santa Fe. This bead store opened 18 years ago, and I have been shopping there for 18 years. I've become friendly with the owner, Joel, although his wife is a prickly pear and not quite as approachable. Joel hugs his old-school customers (people like me). He will sit there and rap with you about his latest buying trip to Bali, or about the ordeal of trying to find a good preschool for your kid that is not impossible to get into. He has always extended the designer deal to me - 50% off on strands, and discounts on price per gram of silver, etc. They offer jewelry making classes which have been a big hit.

A few years ago Joel and CeCe moved to Santa Fe and opened up a branch of Ritual Adornments there, but the Santa Monica store remains their core business. I have never been in there when there is not at least a handful of beadaholics, like me, who know that this is not your run-of-the-mill bead store. I have come, in desperation with kids in tow, when I needed some findings or some chain and I couldn't wait. But I prefer to come by myself and indulge in browsing around. Depending on how much money I drop, it is either a guilty or guilt-free pleasure. When my mom comes here from New York and we plan our week, she says we have to stop by Ritual Adornments at some point!

SO now I am dying to know why they are leaving. I'm guessing it is because they have settled in Santa Fe and want to focus on just having one shop. Maybe the rent is being raised in the building on Main Street. I am so sad to think of a Main Street without Ritual Adornments. It's a bit like Fifth Avenue without the Plaza.  I may have to lay my body down in protest, or wire-wrap myself to the register, demanding that they keep on doing what they've been doing so nicely all of these years.  Ritual Adornments, why?  Why?