“Joden rings in elegance”

Grove City Magazine  - Volume III 2009-2011
By Amy Clingensmith
Page 34

Quick.  What do Grove City and the jewelry designer for Princess Diana have in common?
Joe Murawski.
Murawski, the owner of Joden Jewelers and Joden World Resources on Broad Street in Grove City was raised in nearby New Castle and watched his father, Adam, a renowned bench jeweler, excel in the jewelry industry.  While growing up, he repaired jewelry alongside his father and fell in love with the business.  After high school graduation, Joe was offered college scholarships but instead chose to go to gemological school in Los Angeles at the age of 18.  It was a decision that paid off.

Joe founded Joden in 1970 with then-partner Dennis Main.  The combination of their first names gave birth to the moniker of the store Joe-Den.  Their first large and unique stock came from Royal Jewelers, who went out of business in the late ‘60s.  Adam had done repair work for Royal, so the contacts were in place.
The first few years for Joden were difficult, with two young, aspiring jewelers at the helm.  But Joe was determined to make it in this father’s business, so he worked with a mentor and jewelry supplier in Ohio to learn valuable business lessons.  Together they created a five-year plan for Joden and by 1974, Joe bought out his partner and took over the store himself.
Joe worked hard over the next decade, and by 1986, he bought the company owned by his one-time mentor, whose business lessons over the phone all those years were put into practice.  Because his mentor was nearing retirement, Joe hired him into the Joden family and the company actively went into the wholesale business.

This arm of the business led Joe all over the world, including England where he met the jewelry designer for Princess Diana.  Today, Joden has the exclusive rights in America to the work done by her designer. Joe forged ahead in the wholesale business and formed Joden World Resources.  A large part of the Grove City business in working with jewelry dealers and companies around the world.  A significant mail order and Internet business are also in the mix.

So with worldwide sales, why stay in Grove City?  Joe says it’s a great place to live and build a solid business.  Even in a small town, Joden has one of the most unique jewelry inventories in the country, with a collection of some of the rarest pieces in the world.  These include Faberge eggs for the Russian Imperial Court; work by Carlo Giuliano, legendary designer to Queen Victoria; colorful opalescent enamel jewelry; artistic acquisitions from estates; “Micro-Mosaic” or Italian miniature three dimensional mosaics; ornamental Victorian designs; and jewelry from Cartier and Tiffany.  A one-of-a-kind collection is also handcrafted on the premises.

Even with the rarest and most exquisite jewelry in the world in his store, Joe takes pride in the fact that his customer base is limitless.
“We are designed to have something for everyone,” he said.  “No one would be intimidated to come in to purchase a $50 sterling silver piece or shop for a four-carat ring.”