FOR YOU, A TOKEN. Sarah Willger, pictured, has quietly fostered her handcrafted jewelry business over the course of two decades. Today, Token Jewelry calls Eau Claire's Grand Ave. home, with its retail shop beckoning passersby while its makers craft away on the second floor.

Token Jewelry has carved a sun-kissed space for itself along the Chippewa River, a distinct thread in Eau Claire’s fabric woven over the past 20 years.  

The West Grand jewelry purveyor has grown a reputation through its quality small-batch finery, known for enduring pieces made from sterling silver and glinting gold fill, often cradling hand-selected gemstones and minerals.

For all the quiet beauty Token embodies, from the lime-washed, light-reflecting walls of its retail shop to its jewelry’s nature-inspired twists and bends, the small business cannot claim today’s success by yesterday’s linear growth – such a background does not exist for Token.

A week after Token’s 20th anniversary celebrations, founder Sarah Willger and I hit play on the highlights reel, so to speak. She was reflective and, at times, frank about the past two decades of business and life.

“I didn’t go into this to have a business, it just kind of happened that way,” Sarah shared.

Dainty everyday pieces, fine jewelry, gemstones, pearls, and more, are some of the tell-tales signs of a Token piece.

After our hour-and-a-half conversation, that statement began to make more sense. Token’s origin is, after all, thanks to a 20-something-year-old version of herself who moved from Eau Claire to Oregon after a heartbreak.

There, in a small riverside city, Sarah nudged the first domino part of a fated path toward Token's creation: unearthing a love for gemstones. “Labradorite,” she recalled as the stone that sparked her infatuation with gems and jewelry. “It was just so beautiful; blue with a green flash in it. I had never seen something like that before.”

What was supposed to be a one-year gap during college turned into several years of soul-searching, odd-end jobs, and time spent exploring creative endeavors like writing and jewelry making in Oregon. Years later, the same thing that sent Sarah from the Midwest – love – brought her back. 

In 2008, she returned to Eau Claire, and her back-burner passion for jewelry creation could hardly help but find its way into focus. After selling some of her pieces at local small businesses, her work was bookmarked in the minds and eyes of locals.

In 2017, Sarah took a leap, investing in Token as her full-time career – and secured a suite space within the former Artisan Forge Studios. There, she began to find her footing as an artist-turned-business owner; hiring her first employees, expanding to meet demand, and finding significant opportunity through wholesale partnerships. (One of Token's long-standing wholesalers includes Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market. Even beyond the country, Token can be found internationally.)

"It's such a relief that (creating) makes me feel like this – so very, authentically me."

sarah willger

founder & owner, token jewelry

The makers space, where the magic happens.

As several team members at Token spoke to, the small business's intentionality toward its materials and design — along with marketing and customer service — is a vital differentiator between it and other jewelers.

"We're not just trying to sell things," Marni Kaldjian, designer and marketing manager, said. "There are certain stories of, people coming to Token for special reasons or requests, and we get to be part of their lives in this really meaningful way."

"The pieces, too," longtime team member and Brand Specialist Lexi Hansen added. "I feel like our gemstones sets (Token) apart. They're interesting and are sourced very intentionally; each stone is not going to be the same as the next."

A similar sentiment could be applied to Token's current home, which greets passersby at the west end of Grand Avenue Footbridge, located at 106 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire. The 19th-century era building was renovated and reimagined by Sarah and her family, from the keyhole- and arch-shaped walls to the register counter’s custom tile work.

The storefront, left, prior to Sarah Willger and family's remodel and renovation efforts. The Token Jewelry building today, pictured at right. (Submitted and social media photos)

Token’s own storefront is an extension of its individual jewelry pieces, and what it hopes to offer every person who walks in: peace, space, and the ability to find something that makes them feel beautiful. 

Yet, even after 20 years and a week's worth of festivities – which Sarah, a spotlight-avoidant person, was encouraged to fully embrace by her team, she said – a sort of imposter syndrome leaks into her mind from time to time.

"I think I get worried that I'm going to lose it, not have that creativity; that it's going to stop because I'm not nurturing it as much now that everything else – a family, business, operating the business – is happening," she shared. "I think, 'am I going to be able to get into that (creative) headspace?' But when I get back to the bench, I always do."

These days, Sarah most often takes time at the maker bench on solo weekends; feedback on her designs and ideas for what's next are often shared amongst the team.

Sarah's handiwork, a Uline book softening the sounds of hammering. (And yes, that's Ron Burgundy on the cover.)

Gold fill, sterling silver, and additional materials are wound to hang nearby while gemstones, clasps, and more are tucked into drawers and trays.

"Sarah has this vision over time of what things could look like, and things don't feel stagnant," Lexi said. "Even looking at old pieces and our archive of photos (ahead of the 20th anniversary), we pulled some pieces that were very different but also felt cohesive (with today's pieces) at the same time."

Combining a what's-meant-to-be-will-be outlook on life with her closely-held vision for Token's designs and future, Sarah shared a few ideas she hopes to see come to fruition in the not-so-distant future: More in-house, experience-based offerings, a physical expansion of some sort, and Token's 2025 holiday collection (expect dazzling minerals, wearable statement pieces, and more).

"It's such a relief that (creating) makes me feel like this – so very, authentically me," Sarah said.

Something uniquely, beautifully human happens when an artist bets on themselves, and their community supports them. Token Jewelry is perhaps one of Eau Claire's finest examples of just that.

Token Jewelry is located at 106 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire, and is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-6pm; Sunday from 11am-4pm. Learn more about and shop Token Jewelry online at tokenjewelry.com and keep up with the small business on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms.