Beth Walton

bwalton@citizen-times.com

ASHEVILLE - The billboard that sparked reaction around the nation came down Tuesday and was replaced with a message to thank the supporters of a downtown jewelry store.

The new ad says, "Asheville rocks." The "o" is a sparkling diamond.

"We are sorry if we offended anybody, we did have thousands more supporters than we have people who were offended so we wanted to thank our supporters," Eva-Michelle Spicer, co-owner of Spicer Greene Jewelers, told the Citizen-Times.

"It thanks all of Asheville and it's another play on words, further demonstrating the first one was a play on words," she said.

Spicer Greene Jewelers came under criticism last month for a billboard that said, "Sometimes, it's ok to throw rocks at girls..."

That large sign off Patton Avenue near Interstate 240 had a white backdrop and showed the "rocks" in question — red, blue, yellow, green, pink and silver gemstones — floating around bold, black letters.

It sparked outcry online and a protest on the street after some said it promoted violence against women.

Activists are grateful, said Ellen Perry, who attended the demonstration in front of the store.

"Is this what we want for our city, my hometown, in the 21st century?" she said. "It's certainly not what I want for my 8-year-old goddaughter who also calls Asheville home."

The billboard came down one week early, Spicer said.

"We're still deeply saddened that we offended anybody because that was not our intent," she said. "(The new one) says Asheville rocks because Asheville does rock in every sense of the word."

During the controversy, Spicer Greene Jewelers posted an apology to its Facebook page and agreed to donate a percentage of its sales to Helpmate, a nonprofit domestic violence support and prevention agency.

The news was picked up nationally and Spicer said she did interviews with CNN, "Fox and Friends" and others.

The criticism died down after the first day, she said. Once the story went national the majority of people responded favorably.

"We had support from L.A. to Miami to Seattle," Spicer continued. "It was astounding."

"We'll see if we get as much media attraction out of the next (billboard)."

Spicer Greene Jewelers has called Asheville home for 91 years. The family-run downtown business is in its fourth generation.

The family decided to use the advertisement at Thanksgiving. The idea came from Spicer's 87-year-old grandmother and 60-year-old aunt, she said last month.

The response was mixed, Spicer said in March. Some people love the billboard and told the owners not to take it down. Others made references to Sharia law and the stoning of women in the Middle East.

Similar phrases have been used by other jewelers, sometimes amid controversy. The Toronto Metro News reported in 2015 about a Calgary business changing its sign with the same marketing after people complained.

Troy Shoppe Jewelers replaced their message with: "Lighten up YYC. We love women. We aim to make you sparkle the way you deserve."

Jewelry is a gift that comes from love, Spicer said last month. Spicer Greene Jewelers does not condone violence against anyone. The business is here to help people celebrate anniversaries, weddings and milestones like the birth of a first child.

Asheville jewelry store faces criticism for billboard