"A retreat, an inspiration, and essential to my journey," is how Matt James of Gem Studio describes Main Street. From his high school years "admiring the silver and turquoise in the shops" to bootstrapping Gem Studio, where skilled silversmiths teach classes and guide customers in designing and smithing their own jewelry, Matt's heart has never strayed far from Main. But the Gem Studio dream was born far from PC, in the tropical backcountry of Uganda, where Matt was volunteering.
"It was transformative," he recalls. Soon, Matt was building a school and eventually opened an orphanage. "I became confident in my ability to make a difference, and saw how much is achievable in the world." Back in Utah seeking ways to support the facilities, he learned silversmithing and opened the first Gem Studio.
Today, Matt has eleven locations from Tennessee to Waikiki, crediting Gem Studio's phenomenal growth with "being on the right side of retail history," he says. "People now look for meaning in what they buy and how they spend their time." Gem Studio’s hands-on jewelry creation resonates with that new ethos, offering "an experience that goes beyond the transaction," Matt says.
However, success and family life (Matt and his wife Lauren met when she took Matt's silversmithing class) mean it's not always easy to stay on top of events in far-off Africa. "But I'm so proud of the leadership team -all local Ugandans - who manage the place almost entirely independently," he smiles. "It's theirs now, and we're here to empower them."
Empowerment also describes Gem Studio, where you define how jewelry adds meaning to your life, then craft the perfect piece to reflect the moment. "It allows a sense of purpose and fulfillment," Matt says, reflecting his own achievement of a purposeful life.
"I've learned if you want to create change, you have to make it happen, and often it's more achievable than you think."