Quality and building customer relationships are hallmarks of Sycamore shop’s business model

or more than a century, D&D Jewelers

Fhas glittered on Sycamore’s local business landscape, evolving from Cooper’s into third-generational D&D Jewelers over 20 years ago. The business was purchased from the Cooper family by married couple Dawn and Don Sukach and has strengthened its legacy in the community of Sycamore ever since.

D&D Jewelers

Dawn recalls her time working for Mr. Cooper, the development of her business, and the life behind a shop that is a beloved and historical fixture in Sycamore. “I started working for Mr. Cooper and the Cooper family maybe 10 or so years before we took over the business,” Dawn said. “He took me under his wing and started teaching and preparing me.”

A LEGACY AND A TRIUMPH

Mr. Cooper focused on teaching Dawn the intricacies of bench skills and watch repair. The bench skillset involves a variety of artisanal proficiencies in jewelry making and repair. Dawn facilitated a rapport with Cooper’s customers and began to take on more leadership roles, eventually purchasing the store and devoting her career to D&D Jewelers. “When his son came in and was running the store, I helped run the management side and the sales floor – that kind of thing,” Dawn remembered. “When my husband and I bought the store, I learned about designers and took all the GIA courses. My husband went to watch school and goldsmithing school, and we learned all the facets of the business.” Aside from practical skills, Mr. Cooper impressed strong business values on Dawn in her time with him at the store. “A lot of what I learned at Cooper’s was valuing relationships,” Dawn said. “Relationships with your customers, and your clients – that goes a long way.” Recognizing and nurturing connections with her customers helped Dawn transition ownership of Cooper’s to D&D. “The transition of buying the business from Cooper’s went really well. We’ve always had a great relationship with them, and it went really smoothly. The community knew me, so they were really good about us taking over the store and the changes we were making.” Eventually, D&D moved their location to give a growing customer base more room to peruse their sparkling wares. “We moved location to change how we were servicing our customers,” Dawn said. “A lot of our business was on three different levels going up and down floors, and we just didn’t have the space that we needed. This location allows us all of us to be on one level with our shop, our offices, and all our sales staff. It has helped us be more proficient in serving our clients and it is also bigger, so we were able to spread out and do things better for everyone.” Customers come first at D&D, and their whole business revolves around cultivating an atmosphere that encourages multiple generations to make D&D their jeweler. “We always put our customers first and go above and beyond to do everything we can for them,” Dawn said. “My business philosophy is more of an understanding of what people want to express and what they’re wearing. Years ago, with engagement rings, it was all about ‘two months’ salary’ – that’s a non-starter. What we encourage and what we believe is that we will find something to work in your budget. We’ll find a way to make it work for you, and we’re just here to help you.” Dawn expresses that she avoids making customers “feel like a number” at all costs, going that extra mile to make her clients happy with her business and their purchases.

ACY AND A TRIUMPH

“We really want to know the customer. We want to hear their story from start to finish, and we

love it when people come back and show us their

wedding pictures, tell us their stories.”

D&D Jewelers

739 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore 815-895-3377 • www.ddjewelers.com contactus@ddjewelers.com

“We really want to know the customer. We want to hear their story from start to finish, and we love it when people come back and show us their wedding pictures, tell us their stories, and tell us how they asked.”

D&D wants to celebrate life’s most precious moments with their customers, offering unparalleled quality in their jewelry and repair because they believe in authenticity. “We try to do as much as we can with anything that is made in the United States as much as jewelry and gems can be,” Dawn said. “For example, we work with [designers] Sylvie and Levy Creations, but one of our newest partnerships is a new line of diamonds we are one of the few shops supplying.”

D&D meets the criteria and mindset to supply these gorgeous gems. “The brand, Rare and Forever Diamonds, are diamonds graded by AI. They are a higher end line that goes through and picks out the diamonds before they’re even graded, so none of the brown, yellow or milky colored stones are considered for these diamonds before they are cut,” Dawn said. “A lot of the diamonds out there don’t go through any of that process beforehand.” According to Dawn, the Rare and Forever Diamonds brand subscribes to an old-school method of grading, transcending current standards that tend to slip. “Not many companies carry this line. They are very tight, and they are very strict on who is allowed to carry them. They work off a relationship with who they feel meets with them, understands the brand and knows the business,” Dawn said. D&D Jewelers delights in creating beautiful custom pieces with excellence and attention to detail. The business offers custom design for engagement rings as well as many other jewelry items. “Sometimes people will inherit several different pieces of jewelry and will want to do something special with them. We can combine all those different pieces of jewelry into one piece or several different ones,” Dawn said. “We had a customer with a tennis bracelet that we took apart and made into a number of different necklaces for all of her grandchildren.” Dawn loves to recount stories of celebration and warmth with her customers, highlighting her values and dedication to providing the best service and experience she can. “That’s what we like to do, we like to cheer on those moments,” Dawn said. “We’ve had people that we’ve started with for their engagements, and then they’ve come back with their sons or daughters and picked out engagement rings for their weddings. When you go from one generation to the next generation, when you have that relationship that carries on, that’s really what it’s all about.” As owner of an independent and prominent business in Sycamore, Dawn understands the importance of supporting local businesses and keeping profits in her hometown. “Our business has brought a lot of stability to [Sycamore],” Dawn said. “They often say it’s tradition to come back here because their parents bought their rings here as well. There is a lot of trust compared to today’s online market where there isn’t any faceto-face communication, you don’t know who you’re buying from, and there’s no relationship. We’re local, we live here, my kids live here, and we frequent other local businesses.” To Dawn, it is about investing where she lives and thrives, building her community and helping it grow. D&D Jewelers will carry on for generations to come, continuing a tradition long cemented in Sycamore’s history. “We want to make an impact,” Dawn concluded. “We want to have a legacy, and we care about this community now and for the future.”