MEET THE METALSMITH AND OWNER OF
PHOTO BY AARON LUCY
PHOTO BY AARON LUCY
BALEFIRE GOODS ARVADA
Many centuries ago, balefires were lite upon cliff sides, and elevated areas, to relay significant news between people of lands near and far. While such a practice may no longer exist today, at Balefire Goods, jewelry represents a fire of beautiful inspiration that connects all cultures and all people.
DENVER STYLE MAGAZINE
For Jamie Hollier, Balefire Goods was much more about a return to passions after spending time dabbling in other avenues of life. It was at a young age that she had come across the art of metalwork while spending time with her beloved grandfather in his shop. Thereafter, she stumbled upon her love of jewelry while wandering around her great aunt’s antique store. Jamie later went on to study metal-smithing and art history, in pursuit of her bliss, as an undergraduate in college. It was during this period that she began working for a local Cherry Creek artisan jewelry store that heightened her fascination with jewelry making. She soon found herself creating one-of-a-kind pieces for friends and family to cherish with so much joy and enthusiasm.
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After her student days, Jamie describes life as having had become fairly complicated and had gotten in the way of her love of fine art and jewelry. Growing successful technology companies with her husband, having a family and a multitude of other responsibilities had put a damper on metal-smithing and jewelry making. Jamie was forced to temporarily put them on the back-burner of tomorrow. She’d found herself unfulfilled and desperately in need of an outlet for artistic expression. Through the contrast, Jamie came to realize just how much she’d really wanted to focus her undivided attention on the arts. She finally went out on a limb in 2017 and opened Balefire Goods’ doors in Olde Town Arvada. Arvada’s tight-knit community welcomed Balefire Goods with open arms and embraced the up-and-coming gallery. With support structures, a committed community and plenty of word-of-mouth, Balefire gained, and continues
to receive, incredible traction towards providing customers with beautifully handmade jewelry. “People are excited, which helps a lot” Jamie tells Denver Style Magazine. “I was also really lucky to be a part of the metal-smithing community, which really helped get the word out too.” Repeat customers of Balefire Goods simply can’t help but come back for more, with others trailing behind, after experiencing the dedicated quality in each piece. Although Jamie has been an entrepreneur since 2007, embarking on the road to success in an industry very different from the technology world has given her valuable insight on what it means to be a female entrepreneur. She describes previous endeavors as being particularly challenging with many obstacles, all while overcoming preconceived notions as a strong business woman. Creative ventures are indeed rewarding to Jamie, as she likes to be in charge of her own destiny, but it requires a lot of self-confidence and an excellent support system. She highlights how challenges, in any field, are aspects in which all entrepreneurs must conquer in fulfilling one’s vision. For example, putting yourself out there for the world to judge is routinely measured by the success of an entrepreneur’s company. Extraordinarily, the arts have been a place of movers and shakers working to lift each other up and transform the community’s diverse representation of creators. The coming to life of a vision or an idea that moves people to respond and appreciate one’s dream keeps Jamie persevering the obstacles of entrepreneurship. Giving back to the community also fuels her productive intentions in helping positively influence society. In fact, Balefire Goods donates 5% of its sales to local nonprofits and equally hosts events for similar causes. “That’s always been a driving factor for me. If everyone just gave a little more to the greater good, then our world would be very different” Jamie explains.
