At Holland & Birch, jewelry has a purpose
When Suzanne Jones found herself on the wrong aisle of a craft store back in 2012, she never imagined she would end up having her own jewelry line.
“I found a necklace stamping kit and made a necklace for my daughter,” she said. “It slowly evolved to people asking me to make items for them, including a Girl Scout troop and Girls on the Run.”
Realizing she had stumbled onto something she wanted to pursue, Jones began making hand stamped necklaces and then leather cuffs out of old belts. She even received a call from Steven Curtis Chapman’s foundation, Show Hope, asking her to make cuffs for them.
“I was selling my stuff and realized people really like this,” she said.
At first, Jones sold most of her items off her Instagram page and customers would pick them up out of her mailbox. Then, she put her items into a consignment shop and made what she called “ice cream money.” It wasn’t long until local Homewood business Fab’rik became the first store to carry her line. Word began to spread about her products, and she began selling wholesale from 30-A to Chicago, Nashville to Cullman and points in between.
While spending time working out of her home and then at a studio location in Homewood, Jones knew that to grow her business, she needed her own space to work. Just over a year ago, a recently renovated space on 28th Avenue became available, right across from her former studio.
“It’s been the perfect spot for us,” she said. “My product is something that people want to try on and touch it. The community of Homewood has been so supportive from the get go.”
Jones was a real estate agent for 11 years, and says she would love to be a house flipper. She enjoys taking something in the rough and making it beautiful, just like she does with the jewelry she makes.
Initially calling her business Holland’s Trinkets, named after her daughter Mary Holland, she decided to change the name to something more sophisticated. Her home studio was surrounded by trees, so a friend sent her a list of trees and when she came across birch, she knew it was a perfect fit.
“Birch trees are planted around forest fires for rebirth and the word means new beginnings,” Jones said. “It’s symbolic of beginnings, renewal and starting over.”
She describes her jewelry as classic Southern with a touch of boho, and it’s handmade, high quality at an affordable price. She learned a lot from spending time with her creative grandmother as a child, and she even has a line named after both of her grandmothers: Dorothy Jewel.
Giving back is the heartbeat of Holland & Birch. Jones makes her jewelry with a purpose. The fundraisers she does are her favorite part of the business, whether people reach out to her or they happen organically.
The money she has raised has been put toward adoptions, orphans and various diseases including cancer, Parkinson’s, Williams Syndrome, Batten disease and more. In March, the Overcomer Fundraiser was held for on Meals OnCol, a meal delivery service for cancer patients tailored to alleviate the side effects from treatment.
“I would love to have one [fundraiser] every month, but just do it as the Lord leads,” she said. “I’m always open to new fundraisers.”
Holland & Birch also hosts Bitty Birch birthday parties for ages five and up. Jones said, “just bring in the cake and we handle the rest.” The guests get to make an age-appropriate necklace and bracelet to take home.
“God has given me the ability to dream big,” she said. “Even though I shoot for the stars, I might only reach the first step. I feel like that has attributed to me growing and evolving. I’m always chasing a bigger thing.”
Located at 1816 28th Ave. S., Holland & Birch is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays.