EXHIBIT 99.1
[WHITEHALL JEWELLERS, INC. LOGO]
                                                                   NEWS RELEASE


                                     For:              Whitehall Jewellers, Inc.
                                     Contact:          John R. Desjardins
                                                       Executive Vice President,
                                                       Chief Financial Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                  TX: 312/762-9751


                     WHITEHALL ANNOUNCES BOARD MODIFICATIONS

Chicago, Illinois, January 29, 2004 -- Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (NYSE:JWL)
today announced that, as part of the Company's recently announced corporate
governance initiatives, Matthew Patinkin and John Desjardins have resigned their
positions as directors. Mr. Patinkin and Mr. Desjardins will retain their
current positions of Executive Vice President, Operations and Executive Vice
President and Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, respectively.
Whitehall's Board will now consist of five members, four of whom are independent
directors.

Hugh M. Patinkin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "On behalf of the
Board of Directors, I want to thank Matthew and John for their service as
directors and look forward to their continued contributions as senior executives
of Whitehall Jewellers. As a result of today's actions, we now have a Board that
is composed of a higher proportion of independent directors and remain committed
to further bolstering the Company's corporate governance, as we work to enhance
shareholder value."

In connection with these Board modifications, Norman Patinkin, currently a Class
I director, will become a Class III director, with his term to expire at the
Company's 2005 Annual Meeting, one year earlier than it otherwise would have.

Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. is a leading national specialty retailer of fine
jewelry, currently operating 381 stores in 38 states. The Company operates
stores in regional and superregional shopping malls under the names Whitehall
Co. Jewellers, Lundstrom Jewelers and Marks Bros. Jewelers.



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