Something old or something new, jewelry designer Karen Hollis loves it all and sees her role to help her clients shine and radiate joy.

It is a mission that has propelled her the last 20 years as the owner of K. Hollis Jewelers, Boutique & Wine Bar in Batavia where she can’t help but make friends with her customers, whether they are buying an engagement ring, re-setting a family heirloom or just stopping in to sip and chat at the wine bar.

“Someone walks in the story and I start making a new friend right away,” Hollis said. “That’s what really sets us apart, creating that experience from the moment you walk in.”

The former educator followed her passion as a jewelry designer more than 20 years ago and she hasn’t looked back. She has created a place where there’s something for everyone, cultivating an inventory that reflects some of her truly favorite things, from the perfect pants to a stretchy tennis bracelet. There’s a Blessing Bracelet to let someone know you’re thinking of them and there’s jewelry to celebrate a special occasion at every price point.

“Our goal is to have something for everybody at every price point,” Hollis said.

The team at K. Hollis is known for its ability to provide custom pieces, whether it’s designing an original engagement ring or finding a way to reimagine a heirloom pin, grandmother’s ring or string of pearls. For Hollis, she finds re-designing an older piece of jewelry can allow a customer to re-connect with a moment in time, a loved one. When someone brings her a heirloom piece Hollis said, “I often give them a note card, to write down the story. We help keep the story going.”

She said, “I tell my customers, ‘Get it out of the box. You’re not honoring your loved one by keeping it in the box.’”

Hollis is also proud of the way her team embraces the future and has become a destination for lab grown diamonds, which enables a customer to have a larger diamond for a fraction of the cost of naturally mined diamonds.

The shop is a destination for fun this fall, from trunk shows to crooning holiday tunes. The Ti Sento Trunk Show is slated for Nov. 13 and the return of singer Gavin Coyle to croon Christmas tunes on Dec. 4. Guests can order a glass of wine and enjoy the entertainment.

“It’s just a fun place to gather,” Hollis added.

She’s also invited the ladies from Fairy Hair to the calendar of events, adding a bit of sparkle to tresses. Hollis said the holidays are a perfect time to add a little sparkle, but she follows up with, “Once you do it, you get addicted. It’s really fun.”

Hollis understands that when it comes to jewelry, a little sparkle can go a long way. In her shop she accepts donations of pieces, which she then shares with local nonprofits for their clients. It’s another example of how something at the bottom of the jewelry drawer can find a new life and how the team at K. Hollis Jewelers thinks outside of the box.