A CAD/CAM Retail Focus.
Featuring Joel and Jennifer McFadden, Joel McFadden Designs: Red Bank, NJ

The chic design studio in Red Bank, New Jersey reflects the character owners Joel and Jennifer McFadden always envisioned for their work environment. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet filled with visual excitement from the posh furnishings to the custom jewelry pieces displayed in the cases, on the walls and unfolding in a continuous loop on a monitor in the salon window. The showroom is appointed with McFadden creations, and strolling by or dropping in is a constant stream of shoppers who would love to own an original.

For Joel McFadden, the path that led to his successful enterprise began back in Charleston, SC, where he helped in his grandfather’s store from age 12, first with errands then practicing bench work. By the time he was eighteen years old, he had apprenticed with his grandfather’s business associates—stone setters, fabricators, casters and other specialty jewelers—and had set his first diamond. His enjoyment of bench work and eagerness to learn more took him to Tennessee as a stone setter and then on to Alabama where he did general bench work and got his first opportunity to design jewelry. Moving back to SC, he continued honing his bench skills doing general repairs and setting, but longed for the creative challenges of design. He held onto those yearnings during the years he worked in Massachusetts, applying his organizational and management skills in running ‘the ultimate repair shop’. When the opportunity came to break away on his own, Joel seized it, and with Jennifer’s help and a loyal following of customers eager for his work he was on his way.

Joel regularly incorporates multi precious metals colors into his designs. Using Matrix to do the layout gives him better precession when the pieces are cast and ultimately assembled.

Jennifer was instrumental in getting the new business on track. At the time, she was handling all the administrative work for the new venture on a part time basis, while attending law school. When a jeweler friend in New Hampshire suggested they join the group at Scull & Company, it was Jennifer who attended sessions wherein recommendations were made that redirected their business with a substantial inventory and 11 employees.

Joel was on the board of the Massachusetts-Rhode Island Jewelers Association and at their 2003 conference, he was introduced to Gemvision’s Matrix jewelry CAD program for the first time. As a traditionalist he was skeptical, but quickly began to see the capabilities and potential of the software for his business. “Matrix would give me the ability to visually create my ideas, and then convert them to waxes.” In May, he bought the program and has been hooked ever since. “I converted my computer gaming time to Matrix time”, he confides.

That same year the McFadden’s moved to a bigger location (4,000 square feet), which included a street level showroom, 4 bench jewelers and Joel’s dream shop, along with his own private office, “...where I could play with my new Gemvision Matrix program for hours. This is what I had wanted all along...to be able to design with almost no limitations.” Shortly thereafter, they received some sobering business advice: in order to be the most successful in their operation, they needed to become more like their competitor down the street.

The custom design process begins with Jennifer, who greets their customers and visits with them about their style and design preferences. She shows selected photos from a library of previously designed pieces which reflect the client’s requests, and determines the particulars and defines the parameters for Joel’s designs. In comparing jewelry CAD/CAM presentation and production versus traditional methods for his store, Joel explains, “Hand fabricating jewelry is very time consuming and the work doesn’t always come out the way you hoped or the way the customer envisioned it. Hand carving wax is a time-consuming and risky venture. Designing in Matrix is just such a smooth and seamless process which ensures that there is a meeting of the minds between jeweler and customer. Flash videos allow me to show the piece from all angles, so there’s nothing missed.”

The McFadden’s took a long, reflective look at the business considering its profitability with respect to the accompanying responsibilities, risks and liabilities and realized that they had strayed from their dream. With their personal considerations for a growing family and the caring for loved ones also weighing on their minds, it was clear that a change was in order.

They made an appointment to see Joe Romano, the owner of Scull & Company to further determine how they could optimize their Greenfield store, but on the way to his office, they made the decision to just close that store and to downsize, focus on custom designed jewelry and again relocate their operation. This move would set the foundation for their future and the McFadden’s spent nearly a year evaluating and selecting a community and another six months choosing the location—in the affluent downtown area of Red Bank, NJ.

Their excitement over the changes and the realization of their goals continues to keep them on track. At last, Joel has gained the freedom and the time to do all the custom designs and shares the jewelry bench work for the studio with an apprentice. Jennifer now works full time in the comfortably inviting storefront for which she directed the design. She handles the administrative, financial and managerial responsibilities of the salon as well as customer relations.



Though he estimates that it took him a year to become truly competent with the Matrix program, he is now considered a power user, spending 25 hours per week with the software. Joel has also won and placed in several jewelry design competitions entering Matrix-designed rings.

“The real trick to success is to focus on being a custom store and not to dilute your message”, says Joel. “We advertise in local magazines with color ads showing our work. We have lots of photos on the wall showing the most recent creations on our Wall of Fame. We have a great window with a slide show running. Foot traffic by our store is huge. Word-of-mouth is a driving force, too.”

Indeed, customers thrilled with their experience at Joel McFadden Designs enthusiastically spread the word to friends who were looking for a custom design service. These referrals have accounted for a great percentage of their new business. Joel elaborates, “Once they find that there is a store that specializes in [custom design] they get very excited and tell everyone. Pride of ownership is important to our customers. They are confident in our abilities and also know that we won’t duplicate their piece so they feel more comfortable telling their friends.”

The custom design process begins with Jennifer, who greets their customers and visits with them about their style and design preferences. Based on the information she has gleaned, she will then show selected photos from a library of previously designed pieces which reflect the client’s requests. During this interview, she determines the particulars and defines the parameters for Joel’s designs.

Then it is time for Joel to get busy. After a review with Jennifer, he transforms the information into a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. Currently, he creates 80 percent of his designs on Matrix software, noting that the greatest benefit of this is the ability to show a customer what their jewelry will look like before he builds the piece.

When customers return to review the work, they are always excited to see an image of their design as a finished piece of jewelry. Once he prepares a presentation demo, Joel is then able to make any changes right in front of the client, who will most often give approval on the spot. With the sale made, Jennifer wraps up the details, receives a deposit and schedules the delivery date with the client.

McFadden’s uses Matrix images in the show case along with a wide variety of gemstones to enlarge their customers imaginations as to the possibilities of the 3D jewelry design process. Here a sapphire is displayed with a Matrix generated image of one of MaFadden’s designs.

On the average, the custom pieces take 2 weeks from the date of approval, though they have delivered finished work in as little as seven days. Customers are ecstatic when they receive the jewelry custom designed just for them. They are honored when asked to sign a photograph of their piece for the ‘Wall of Fame’, a gallery of autographed images of ‘famous’ McFadden designs displayed in the showroom. The ‘Wall’ has received a lot of attention and is a great conversation piece for passers-by. The McFadden’s enjoy unveiling a custom design and try to make it a special occasion for their customers. “If it’s an engagement ring, we deliver champagne with the piece”, beams Joel.

The opportunity to interact and communicate with their customers in a relaxed atmosphere is The Experience at Joel McFadden Designs. However Joel will accommodate the needs of their clients by e-mailing designs and communicating through that venue with equal success. Joel emphasizes, “There is a huge difference between our old business and our new one. We are now a service company and we sell primarily our skills and expertise. Our old business was about turning inventory and working with smaller margins. Our custom store is about being creative, scheduling our work and focusing our attention on delivering the unique and personal jewelry our customers want”.

For information about Joel McFadden Designs, visit www.jmdjewelry.com.