Sydney Marrs is bringing a whole new meaning to the term “timeless jewelry.” Through her blooming business Forever Lillies, she uses delicate pieces of metal chain and a welding tool to make long-lasting, element-resistant jewelry pieces with one simple zap.
That “zapping” is a national trend you may have seen on social media: dainty bracelets that are fused together without clasps. Marrs quickly noticed that bigger cities like Nashville and Dallas had dozens of businesses and jewelry stores offering this service, but couldn’t find anything similar in Baton Rouge other than an occasional pop-up.
She started making jewelry as a hobby. But she added her own signature twist—while permanent jewelry is popular for couples to do together, Marrs thought it could cater to parents and children as well.
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KEY TERM
Zapping
The welding technique used to make jewelry permanent. The links of the jewelry (usually bracelets or necklaces) are custom-sized to fit the wearer. The ends are then “zapped,” or fused together without a clasp.
With three little ones, including a daughter who wants everything her mom has, Marrs was surprised how hard it was to find permanent chain options for children. When she started Forever Lillies, she says she made sure to have at least three kid-friendly options, including fun add-ons like charms.
“I saw in bigger cities where you could put just the plain chain on your kid. But they weren’t offering a kid-exclusive option, so that’s where I came in,” she says.
Because permanent jewelry is a brand-new trend for Baton Rouge, Marrs wondered if it would take a while to catch on. It turned out it didn’t take long at all. On the day of our interview, Marrs and her husband, Chris, have only been selling jewelry for two months. In that short time, Marrs says they have already sold more than 750 pieces of jewelry through private parties and pop-up events.
Now, shoppers can catch Marrs popping up at local businesses, stocked with different styles of permanent jewelry.
She says her partnerships with local boutiques and shops have allowed her to grow her business in a way she never dreamed was possible. It’s why Marrs always encourages her customers to shop and support the business that hosts her pop-ups.
“I feel like it’s a good collaboration between me and a boutique, a food place or an event venue, because people come in to get permanent jewelry, but then they stay and shop or get ice cream or whatever the business offers,” she says. “It helps both of us, because I’m kind of bringing in foot traffic but then my customers are supporting that other local business. So I love that it’s like we’re supporting each other and getting more people to shop local.”
Marrs playfully warns that once you get one piece of permanent jewelry, it starts an addiction. In only two months, she has had repeat customers who are eager to keep growing their collections. Marrs wears multiple pieces from Forever Lillies herself.
She says she loves how she doesn’t have to remember to put them on or worry about them turning.
Chains from Forever Lillies are either sterling silver or gold-filled, and Marrs makes sure that each goes through testing to prevent signs of wear. She has worn her pieces at the pool and the beach to ensure that nothing tarnishes.
Though it may be a trend, she hopes her customers can wear their pieces for as long as they want.
“I don’t just sell you whatever I buy,” she says. “I test it. I put it on my family to test it and make sure that not only is it gonna hold up, but that it looks good, too.”
Though each new piece takes time to test, Marrs is constantly trying to find new charms, chains and additions to keep up the popularity of her business.
By participating in pop-ups and private events, Marrs wants to establish herself as Baton Rouge’s go-to business for permanent jewelry creations.
“I’m just so thankful and grateful for the overwhelming response. I hope that it’s not a fad and that it’s only going to last a few years,” she says. “But I felt like while the market is hot and while the world is so into permanent jewelry, that I need to go go go and get my name out there. I don’t know whether there will be other people that pop up, so I’m just trying to make Forever Lillies at least the name in Baton Rouge.”
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SHOP THE BRAND
Find the latest Forever Lillies pop-up calendar on Instagram at @forever_lillies_jewelry. For those who can’t make it to an event, owner Sydney Marrs can also book private appointments through the brand’s Instagram page.
This article was originally published in the September 2022 issue of 225 magazine.