How one Monmouth County jeweler has survived a mile-a minute market for two decades

by Jessica Jones-Gorman Photos By Amessé Photography

Scott Wolf started working in the jewelry trade when he was just 16-years-old, sweeping up the shop floor at one of Brooklyn’s famed bauble businesses while he learned all of the industry’s inner workings.

“I worked at Malson’s for my current partner’s father while I was still in high school, doing odd jobs before building my way up to a position behind the showcase,” Wolf said. “It really allowed me to learn about the business, witness jewelry and watch repair in the making, and study how to deal with manufacturers. It was a wonderful introduction to a jewelry market that would eventually become my lifelong career.”

At the age of 19, Wolf went out on his own and opened American Watch Works, a watch kiosk in the Ocean County Mall, which was soon followed by a second location in Garden State Plaza. “I did that for a couple of years and my goal was to be more than just a typical stand that sold watches,” Wolf said. “I wanted to offer customers service and knowledge about the product as well.”

“I’ve been doing this for more than two decades…have been able to be a part of so many aspects of my clients’ lives. I’ve pierced babies’ ears when they were just three months old, and then made their engagement rings 20 years later.”

So, after attending the Horological Institute and earning a degree in watchmaking, he started offering service and repairs at his kiosks and built a kind of entrepreneurial empire in the mall cart business, selling “As Seen on TV” goods alongside other seasonal merchandise. “I sold slippers and French truffles, dabbling in holiday products and other popular items just to build up my business,” he recalled. “I was actually the first to bring some of these kiosk products to the retail mall market.”

Then, about ten years ago, Wolf decided to focus solely on jewelry, got rid of his kiosks, and started working at the Jewelry Exchange in the Monmouth Mall. “I was working there for a few years when I decided to broaden my education once again, so I pursued a degree in gemology,” Wolf said.

At about the same time, he opened Wolf Fine Jewelers, a fashion-forward, 1,900-square-foot retail store in the center court of the Monmouth Mall. “My goal for that store was to bring the latest trends, brands, and service that other jewelers couldn’t or wouldn’t provide,” Wolf said. “I wanted to combine the watch and jewelry worlds together in a one-stop-shop atmosphere. All types of jewelry under one roof… something for everyone at every price point. I wanted to accommodate customers looking to spend $28 or $28,000.”

So, Wolf stocked his shop with brands like Alex and Ani, Pandora, Michele, Michael Kors, and Nixon. He created a custom corner in his shop where customers could assist in sketching out items to their particular specifications. His ideas and his brands were a success, and after three years of positive sales, he was approached by The Pier Shops at Caesars in Atlantic City and presented with an opportunity to open a high-end jewelry store there.

“The store in Atlantic City was a home run from day one,” Wolf said. “We had celebrity shoppers, wonderful sales, and it allowed us to build an even bigger name. After developing a presence in AC, other malls took notice and offered us retail space in their locations. I opened my third shop in the Ocean County Mall in Toms River—where I originally started with my watch kiosk—not long after.”

Wolf now operates all three locations and is in negotiations to open up additional stores as early as this year. He credits all this success to the top-notch service his staff provides and the popular brands he is able to procure.

“My staff is my family,” he said with a smile. “A general is only as strong as his army, and I have a very strong army. My biggest pleasure is seeing a customer walk out with a smile, or when a shopper comes in because they are referred by a client who was genuinely happy with the treatment and product he or she received in our store. That is what makes this job truly worth it for me.” And for Wolf, one of the best parts about working in this business has been serving generations of customers, playing a vital role in some major life events.

“I’m relatively young, 43-years-old, but because I’ve been doing this for more than two decades, I’ve been able to be a part of so many aspects of my clients’ lives,” the owner said. “I’ve pierced babies’ ears when they were just three months old, and then made their engagement rings 20 years later. It’s very rewarding to work with generations of customers like that.” Because of that community connection, Wolf stays involved, donating to several charitable organizations.

“We launched a fundraiser a couple of years ago to help children with autism,” he said. “I feel very blessed to have had so much success in my life, so I simply wanted to give something back.”

Wolf’s Making Waves for Autism raised money for the cause through a series of donations for sponsored parties who rode jet skis on the Navesink River to the Stature of Liberty and back. Revenue from one of his products—The Giving Keys (a line of keys repurposed as jewelry)—helps assist those transitioning out of homelessness, a cause which the entrepreneur feels strongly about supporting.

“It’s an effort that is taking homeless people off of the street and giving them a second chance,” the owner said. It’s a style of jewelry that is very on point with the industry’s biggest ongoing trends, according to Wolf, adding that the use of alternative metals and materials is also very en vogue.

“Yellow gold is definitely coming back into high fashion,” Wolf concluded, elaborating upon what is currently hot in his stores. “And popular brands like Alex and Ani have popularized different alloys and recycled materials. We sell items that are dipped in rose gold and then plated, which has become a popular process, too, because it allows customers to purchase high fashion items at affordable prices.” And that’s, after all, what Wolf originally set out to do.

Wolf Fine Jewelers at Monmouth Mall
180 Route 35, Eatontown / 732.460.9653 / wolffinejewelers.com