Jaime Hollier of Balefire Goods Bridges The Gap Between Concept And Fruition Through Her Custom Commitment Jewelry
WRITTEN BY ANNIE BLOJ // CULTURE & STYLE EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
JEWELRY: BALEFIRE GOODS
Since we last checked in with Jamie Hollier, owner of Balefire Goods, an award-winning gallery featuring unique, handmade jewelry, art, and gifts based in historic Olde Town Arvada, there have been a few changes to mention. Jaime moved Balefire to an even larger space, allowing for more opportunities to display work from over fifty independent artists. She was also able to dedicate more space for the jewelry studio, where she and her team can offer classes, events, workshops, and studio time to local artists. We are particularly excited about her new offering of custom commitment rings and jewelry that speak to the creative nature of Balefire’s clients and offer a unique way to start a new chapter of a relationship.
Look 1: Modern Art Lover
For a bride that feels right at home when visiting the Clyfford Still Museum, artisan jewelry pieces with a geometric edge are a great choice for a modern, artistic wedding. Platinum wedding ring with an heirloom diamond center custom made by Balefire Goods, Parabolic Shield necklace in sterling-silver ($795), and Morning Glory hairpiece in sterling silver ($400) both handcrafted by Jesse Mathes.
Annie Bloj: Jaime- so good to speak with you again. Can you share what you and your team have been working on since our last feature? You have been making some big moves!
Jamie Hollier: It has been an unpredictable year and a half since our last feature, as it has been for just about everyone. We opened in a new, larger location in Jan. of 2020, just one block away from our old location. We are in love with our new location in a historic building, but just one month after our ribbon cutting, we closed our doors for a couple of months and stayed at limited hours for a few more months. While we were closed we learned that we won Westword’s “Best Artisan Jeweler” in 2020 and then won Denver A-list’s “Best Wedding Rings” and “Best Designer Jewelry”. It was a roller coaster of a year and we have been blown away by the support we have received. We are feeling so grateful and excited to see where things go from here!
Morning Glory Headpiece by Jesse Mathes
This new spot is gorgeous with a high, exposed beam ceiling, brick walls, and gorgeous sunlight streaming in. The move was a great change for us as the space is much larger and allows us to have an expanded studio space, allowing us to do almost everything for our custom jewelry and repairs on site. Additionally, we have a larger, dedicated classroom for when we teach metalsmithing classes. The larger gallery space was also incredibly important over the last year as it has allowed us to have more room for social distancing.
In addition to our move, we have expanded our commitment and custom jewelry portfolio and have more offerings in our ready-to-wear selection, including pieces made in-house at our gallery and some new pieces from a few of the amazingly talented jewelry artists we carry. We have worked on some of the most unique and rewarding custom pieces we have made thus far and can’t wait to see what ideas we co-create with our customers in the future.
Look 2: Glamorous in Gold
For the bride that truly wants to shine, a golden gown and statement accessories are pitch-perfect accompaniments for a glamorous affair. Peacock ring with a sapphire center and white and colored diamond accents set in 14K yellow gold handmade by Tuggle Designs ($9,340), Hex ring with a fantasy cut sapphire and accent diamond in 14K yellow bold handmade by Cheyenne Hughes ($7,200), Aqua bubble cuff bracelet featuring carved aquamarine, diamonds, and prasiolite all set in 22K and 18K gold and sterling silver crafted by Ryan Gardner ($3,200), Halo earrings in brass created by We Dream in Colour ($95).
Delilah and Blue Feather Hair pins crafted in brass by We Dream in Colour
AB: Since this is the Weddings issue- can you tell us how Balefire is becoming a destination for brides and couples looking to take the next step?
JH: Working with couples to create their dream engagement and wedding rings is one of the most amazing parts of our work as jewelry artists. I think one of the things that really sets us apart is that we take a lot of time to talk with our customers to get to know them. We think of jewelry, especially rings that represent your most important connections and that you wear for the rest of your life, as a co-creation with our customers. Knowing about the lives of our customers helps us to make pieces that are in alignment with who they are and how they live. For us, wedding jewelry should be less about what is popular right now and more about creative and unique designs that will hold up to the test of time (both aesthetically and in their craftsmanship).
AB: Creating a custom ring is an incredibly personal process that shows a unique level of thought. How does it feel as a designer to be a part of such an exciting moment for a couple?
JH: You can’t help but get emotionally invested in the lives of your clients when you work with them to create pieces that are so important. Just the other day I got a little teary as one of our customers saw the engagement ring we had created for him and his hand shook as he reached for it. He was so scared when the ring became real, but also so excited. You become a part of these life-changing moments with your customers.
When you think about it, when making an engagement or wedding ring, it is an amazing honor to be invited in as the creator of a physical symbol of their love, something they will cherish and hand down.
Some of our work is important in other ways, as we often create new jewelry pieces from inherited jewelry or memorial pieces. I have spent moments just being present with our customers as they remember their mother through her jewelry or process the loss of a loved one when designing a memorial piece. It is a heavy thing and it is one of the parts of our work that I find so fulfilling. During the pandemic and then the protests for Black Lives Matter over the last year, I did a lot of thinking about how jewelry fits into the world and whether I am doing my part for the greater good. We try to leave a positive impact through our support of nonprofits and the art community, but that can feel removed. When you sit with someone and share in their love, or their loss, or their memories and you help them create something that they will wear on their skin that connects them to that person, that time, you can’t help but think you are having a positive impact.
Look 3: Sophisticated Naturalist
The perfect pieces for the plant-loving bride, nature-inspired and organic jewelry is a flawless compliment for an outdoor garden wedding. Natural gray diamond ring with faceted diamond side stones in platinum and handmade by Balefire Goods ($1890), Trillium petal necklace ($230) and aspen rain earrings in sterling silver ($140) by Aileen Lampman, Crocheted sterling silver bracelet by Jesse Mathes (, Scribble ring with pearl in sterling silver by Sema Sezen ($130)
AB: What are the trends that you are seeing your clients leaning into? At the shoot, we talked about how brides are opening up to more creative ideas for their big day.
JH: I think it is less about trends and more about self-expression. There is no right way to be in love. There is no right way to get married. There is no right way to honor your loved ones. We are all about helping people have jewelry that speaks to them, that expresses who they are. Many couples and customers we work with are honoring the traditions that they find interesting and creating new ones when that works for them. Maybe it is a trend to go with what you love, but we sure hope it is more of a sea change instead.
AB: What do you have in store for Balefire for 2021?
JH: So many good things! We have mostly been talking about our custom jewelry here and we hope to keep making unique custom jewelry for our customers but we also want to get back to some of our other work. We are starting to teach metalsmithing classes again now that our staff is vaccinated, and we can’t wait to see what comes out of those. Our roster of art shows coming up this year is killer and we are so looking forward to having more in-person art openings and events, including a show in partnership with Babe Walls in July.
AB: Jamie, thank you so much for creating a magical space with Balefire Goods. The love and support you offer the artists you display and your community can be felt throughout your new space. We had such an amazing time with you thinking about the different ways that a bride can adorn herself for her big day!
Balefire Goods: @balefire_goods // balfiregoods.com // 7513 Grandeview, Arvada, Colorado 80002
Writer: @theblojreport
Photographer: @estherleeleach