The Holland family transplanted from San Antonio to San Angelo 100 years ago, after I.J. “Chase” Holland — who initially intended to buy a jewelry store in Laredo — had a last-minute change of plans and visited a shop in San Angelo instead.
Four generationshave operated the Holland Jewelry Co. since its inception in 1918 when the population of San Angelo was just 10,000.Expanding and evolving with the changes of how people shop over the years, the milestone is monumental for the family-owned business.
“One-hundred years of independent business in today’s world is pretty unusual,” Bill Holland, the grandchild of Chase Holland and current CEO of Holland’s, said.
Although coined a jewelry store from the beginning, jewelry did not represent the business’ main source of revenue in the early years.
“If you looked at the jewelry business 100 years ago it probably doesn’t resemble very much to what the business is today,” he said, explaining it was more of a department store, selling fine tabletop ware, along with a variety of other items ranging from greeting cards to kitchen appliances.
“In the early 1900s people couldn’t and didn’t buy expensive diamond jewelry,” he said. Another source of revenue came from watch repairs for railroad workers, whilethe railway was the main transportation method.
It was in 1936 that Chase Holland introduced the Spur clip, which he created by melting a sterling umbrella handle to create spurs fastened to a tie clip. The spur clip became a symbol of West Texas that has been gifted around the countryand world.
Houston Harte, former publisher of the Standard-Times, bought and gifted the spur clipsfor President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Vice President John Nance Garner and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn.Additionally, a Spurclip was given toIsrael’s Menachem Begin in 1983.
Created as the business was slowly recovering from the Depression, Holland said the clips are “given for recognition of accomplishments and going beyond-duty.”
“During that time period finished fine jewelry became a more accessible product,” Holland said, explaining that the creation allowed the business somewhat of a departure from the fine ware focus.
Along with the clip, the company developed a full line of western-style buckles and jewelry. For nearly 20 years, Holland’s has produced the Gold Spur Award, given to one individual at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. Before that, in 1951, the Holland Animal Production Award was created – gifting a sterling silver belt buckle to boys competing in Stock Shows throughout the region.
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Other notable moments for the business include bringing in a collection of Lenox china in 1952 that was created by “the most noted of domestic chinaware manufacturers for two Presidents of the United States…”, according to Standard-Times archives, and in 1993, hosting a display – valued at about $4 million – of treasures found from the Atoka shipwreck of 1622.
Another point of successthat has led to a loyal customer base throughout the yearsis the store’s commitment to custom jewelry and jewelry repairs.
“We have families that have shopped with us for generations and generations,” Holland said.
Brant Horner, who started working at the store in 1985 and is the current president of the company, does some of the customizations, along with other technicians at the store.
Using a 3D printer, the shop, “can give customers a full dimensional 3D picture of the custom work,” Horner said.
Acknowledging other jewelry stores in town offer customization, Horner said he isn’t sure if “anyone has gone as far using the computer aided design.”
He and his daughter, Evyn Horner Higgins, manager of the store, displayed one of these 3D models, designed after a woman brought in a ring of her grandmother’s and wanted to use the diamonds from it to make a pair of more modern earrings.
Pointing to examples within their inventory and listening to her design ideas, the shop designed two models before crafting the earrings the woman wanted.
Despite the misconception, Evyn Horner Higgins said, custom jewelry is not unattainable in the sense of expense and the store can work with customers within their price range.
“Our philosophy is to listen to the customer, figure out what they are asking for and see if we can do that for them,” Holland added.
Horner and his daughter are set to take over the business at the end of this year, with Holland planning to retire. The father-daughter pair will keep Holland’s as the name of the store.
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“I feel really good about the transition,” Holland said, adding, “Brant has been here for so long, it’s like family.”
In honor of the 100th anniversary, the store will be hosting events throughout the year, including one set for the weekend of April 5. The diamond event will include an expanded inventory of diamonds, described as “unique things you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to see in a jewelry store.”
