A.H. Fisher Diamonds

Jun 27

In their own words

“The initial time a customer comes in, a lot of times, it’s for an engagement ring. That usually starts the forever relationship with the customer. I see it with my dad. He’s had customers for 35 years. Now he’s seeing his customer’s children come in and work with me. It’s coming down to the next generation. It’s a special thing.”

-Matthew Fisher

Jason’s Interview with Matthew

Jason

We're back on Meet the Jewelers and today we're talking about Matthew Fisher from A.H. Fisher Diamonds in New Jersey. How did you get into the industry?

Matthew

I got into the industry because my dad has been, he owns the store here with me. He grew up in the jewelry business and opened the store in the early 1980s. It's kind of just been in my blood. I got into it full-time in 2009.

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Jason
What was it like to enter the jewelry industry in 2009?

Matthew
It wasn't the greatest of economic times. I was a finance major in college. I did always have intentions of giving the family business a try, but it was an interesting time to stay the least. At that time, we were already very well established—we persevered, and here we are today.

Jason
Did you always have that feeling that you were going to come do this one day?

Matthew
I'd say that--summers of high school, I would come and work here several days a week. I got my feet wet, working with customers and answering the phone. My knowledge wasn't really there, but I was gaining the experience of customer interaction. As I got towards my junior year of college, I was like, “You know what? This is something I really want to give a try.”

Jason
Where'd you go to school?

Matthew
I went to University of Delaware.

Jason
Any other family members that are part of the company?

Matthew
No. I do have a younger sister, but she's an event coordinator in Manhattan.

Jason
What is it like to come inside your store?

Matthew
I would say we create a very warm environment here. We're very relaxed. My dad and I are not dressed up to an extreme. We're not wearing suits and ties. We have carpeted floors and a soft wood decor. It's very inviting, a place where people come in and feel comfortable. We know most of our customers. Somebody coming in for the first time, we interact with the customers in such a way where we're looking to get feedback and find out what their intentions are. I don't think we are on the hard sell side. My dad has always just had a way about him. He's just a really sweet man.

Jason
What other brands are top of mind that you really like?

Matthew
One brand name that we do a lot of work with is Martin Flyer. We do a large business with them in the bridal department. I speak to them between five-ten times a day on various jobs. That's one that really stands out to me. We've been with them for quite some time and have a great business relationship with them.

Jason
What motivates you?

Matthew
I really love being here. I just really enjoy it. I don't look at it as work. It’s something that I'm really passionate about. I do have a family. I have a young daughter. So I always want to work as hard as I can to provide for my family.

Jason
You've probably been through so many proposal experiences. What are one or two that people should know about?

Matthew
I could tell a funny story that doesn't really pertain to this specific proposal, but I do think it's a cool story. I had a friend from college that referred her boyfriend to us when he was coming in to buy an engagement ring. It was one of the first times that I met him. Obviously, it was a surprise at the time. So, he came in and we had a really nice time together and then ended up making an evening out of it. It turns out that I ended up getting engaged a couple weeks later and my college friend wanted to come and celebrate, so they came back again to the store and to my house, and I had to act like I hadn't known her future fiancé this entire time.

I know a customer, they were really big Disney people. They basically got to the gates at Disney and the metal detector went off where I was. The intended receiver of the ring had an idea of what was going on, but she really was a sport about it. She just kind of turned the other way and let them go through the metal detector and acted like she didn't see what was going on. But she certainly knew everything that was going on. And a few minutes later, she found out herself.

Jason
When you think of trends, what are some things that you're seeing?

Matthew
Some trends that I'm seeing now is definitely not just white metal, specifically with bridal. I'm seeing a lot of yellow gold and rose gold. In terms of the cut diamonds, a lot of things with curves seem like it's trending, ovals. I’ve probably sold more oval diamonds in the last year or two than I had in the previous five years combined. We've definitely gone more towards a fashion line of jewelry and things that are a little bit less expensive than what we would have typically sold.

Jason
Why should people trust you?

Matthew
We are trustworthy people in the sense that you come in here and you'll get a really good gauge on who we are. We’re just going to be ourselves. Most people walk in here and feel good about being here. We're a family-run business, we're a mom-and-pop shop in a little downtown. Shopping local and being part of the community, that's something that we really strive for. My dad grew up in Red Bank. He's kind of a lifer here. And I live in Red Bank now. So, we are part of the community here. And we're not going anywhere.

Jason
Talking about community, let's talk about Rally for the Cure and all the great work you do for the Red Bank Public Library.

Matthew
I want to do whatever we can for the local community in terms of fundraising and any type of charitable things that help the greater good. Whether it's through the library or some other different organizations, we're really passionate and will continue to be.

Jason
What do you think differentiates your store from other stores?

Matthew
Some of what we sell is a little bit unique to the area. I would say we specialize in bridal. It really is our bread and butter. We are very into specialization and customization. Whether a customer is repurchasing something or looking to have something made from scratch, we're very well versed in CAD and things that would help a one-of-a-kind piece.

Jason
Tell us about your customization process.

Matthew
The length of time can kind of vary. Usually, from start to finish, it could take approximately two to four weeks. It usually just starts with an idea, with a sketch, or brought onto a computer with a rendering. From there, the CAD process. On a daily basis, I'm talking with people on my team from the CAD department.

Jason
Now, this is your platform. Share whatever you want.

Matthew
We are a one-stop-shop for anything jewelry-related, whether it's a repair, watch battery, or an engagement ring. We're here to serve you and you will get absolutely incredible customer service, as well as a premium product and something that we stand behind. When someone's doing research for an engagement ring, online research is definitely important. Ultimately, you want to buy a diamond, not a certificate. Coming in and seeing diamonds in person is the only way to make a purchase for a stone, not just seeing a certificate.