Mathew Jewelers offers custom jewelry designs
Across four generations and over 76 years, Mathew Jewelers continues to service the community with uniquely designed jewelry made by top-rated experienced goldsmiths committed to excellence.
“We focus on handmade custom-design jewelry,” co-owner Michelle Mathew said. “You can basically come to us with a sketch or a drawing or an idea, and we can go from there and create that custom one-of-a-kind piece.”
Mathew Jewelers also does on-site jewelry repair and their own custom-design jewelry.
According to Mathew, the majority of sales are engagement rings and wedding bands, stating that engagement rings alone make up 75% of the sales.
“We are known for our custom design pieces,” she said. “A lot of the big box stores don’t have that capability of actually creating a piece of jewelry from scratch.”
For the past seven years in a row, Mathew Jewelers has won the People’s Choice Gold Star for the Area’s Best Jewelry Store.
According to the website, Mathew Jewelers carries various top-end designers as well as their own custom designs called “Uniquely Yours.”
Mathew Jewelers was first opened on Zelienople’s Main Street in 1947 by Andrew Mathew Sr.
“My grandfather started out as a watchmaker,” Mathew said. “He was a retired watchmaker, and he came out of retirement and opened a small store.”
In 1955, Michelle Mathew’s parents, Andy Jr. and Helen Mathew, took over ownership. According to Michelle, the Zelienople shop has undergone numerous expansions and remodels.
“(We) expanded in the 1970s and we added a lot of giftware, and then in the 1990s we did a major remodel to expand on just featuring jewelry,” she said.
In the 60th year of operation 16 years ago, the business expanded into a second location at the Streets of Cranberry off Route 19.
Michelle and her brothers Phil and Drew Mathew took ownership of the shop in the late 1980s. Michelle and Phil Mathew are co-owners of the family business after Drew retired this past January after 50 years.
According to Drew Mathew, the next generation is involved in the business, with his son Spencer Mathew holding a management position at the Zelienople store.
Out of their 15-person-strong workforce who all design and create jewelry for customers, there are two full-time goldsmiths “that bring the piece to life.”
According to Michelle Mathew, most of the training the employees at her shops receive is hands-on experience, learning by doing and watching others.
“There are GIA, Geological Institute of America, courses that can be taken, especially for the bench jewelers, the goldsmiths,” she said. “But a lot of it is just hands-on.”
Some of the current popular pieces she has seen include diamond earrings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and hoops, and yellow gold is “coming in really strong for the holidays.”
“Engagement rings are always popular,” she said. “We stay busy throughout the year on our custom order pieces. We do a lot of engagements throughout the year, although Christmas is the strongest of our holidays.”
