One of Alan Fisher’s first jobs as a kid in Red Bank was to climb the clock tower overlooking Red Bank’s downtown to wind the clock weekly. He and that tower have a great deal in common – they have both remained fixtures in Red Bank for six decades and have overseen its many changes.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of A. H. Fisher Diamonds and Alan can mark the years by recounting both personal and professional milestones.

In The Beginning

Alan is the fourth generation of his family to live in Red Bank – one great grandfather was a woodworker in Red Bank; and a grandfather operated a confectionery store around the corner from A.H. Fisher’s current location. Alan vividly recalls the confectionery shop which his grandparents owned and operated for 40 years, retiring in the early 1960s when Alan was 10. Ironically, Alan’s first jewelry store was located one door away from the former confectionery.

He recalls his early years in Red Bank. It had a thriving downtown area which even survived as new shopping malls sprang up. “It was a small town where everyone knew everyone, and it had a very successful retail shopping area. Almost every store stayed open until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.”

A self-described “studious, conscientious nerd,” Alan was also a band geek, playing the saxophone in high school. His biggest achievement was as a school photographer where he won the George Blair scholarship for his work.

In his usual tongue-in-cheek manner, Alan described his first claim to fame — winding and maintaining that clock above the Red Bank Police headquarters. It required climbing several flights of stairs, followed by ascending two stories of ladders through pigeon-infested nooks and crannies to get to the clock. The clock remains and is a regular reminder of the personal and professional changes time has brought to the Fisher family, his business, and the community of Red Bank.

A Gem of a Start

Unsure of his future direction, Alan was interested in engineering, “but my awful math skills killed that,” he chuckled. But, everything changed in 1968 when, through a referral by his grandfather, he was hired by a local jewelry business, Reussilles Jewelry to work after school, on weekends and in the summer, trying his hand at minor jewelry repair, polishing and machine engraving.

And then, in 1983, at the age of 31, while pondering his future and an urge to start his own business, his personal and professional lives collided. He parted ways from a job at a jewelry store in the Asbury Park area after working there for 11 years, and the same weekend went on a blind date with a girl named Karen. In the next two years, Alan cemented plans to open his own jewelry business and married Karen. Knowing he loved the jewelry business, but no longer wanted to work for someone else, Alan armed himself with a following of clients and a bit of courage and went to the local bank seeking his first-ever loan. He struck up a relationship with a certain loan officer who took a chance on a start-up company. (Alan is still friendly with that former loan officer who is now president of the bank.) The rest, as they say, is history – 35 years of it and counting. . .

The Milestones

On a professional level, Alan has seen many changes and weathered many storms – from the economic downturns of the 70s and 80s, two burglaries, to a change in the retail atmosphere. His is one of only five businesses to remain on Red Bank’s Broad Street; the others include a bridal shop, drapery fabric shop, another jeweler, and a music store. “Red Bank has definitely changed from traditional retail stores to more food-related, service-related than the retail cash and carry,” he said.

The two major events that make him beam with pride are the addition of his son, Matthew into the business – a fifth generation in Red Bank and second generation at A. H. Fisher; and the addition of his Claimlink Jewelry Replacement, which has put him on the map with major insurance carriers around the country.

In the area of personal milestones, Alan and Karen twice replaced retail message signs in their store’s window with welcomes for their first child, Matthew, and then daughter Lauren. A.H. Fisher is truly a family business – wife of 33 years, Karen worked there part time; even trying a short-lived role reversal leaving him home with the children while she ran the store. With both children grown, Karen has become more involved with the technical end of the business, including window design and general assistance with clients.

Why Jewelry?

What lured Alan into the business and kept him hooked for 35 years? “The whole diamond and jewelry business is a retail business outside the box; it’s much more than buying and selling a product. There’s so much to learn, there’s an incredible degree of trust and relationship building involved. I’ve loved doing that. We don’t have one-time cash and carries – we have clients who have stayed for 30 years – we’re seeing their children now and Matthew is taking care of them.”

Source of Pride

Alan didn’t stop with learning through experience, instead he plunged into ensuring he got the top-of-the-line training and expertise. As a member of the American Gem Society, Alan completes annual exams to continue to be well informed of all current trends and technological advances. His greatest sources of pride are having his son work with him and hearing from customers about how pleased they are with him and his business practices. “I love running into people outside the business and they recognize us for products we’ve sold them, and I love seeing the reviews we receive. Now, Matthew, my second generation is catering to our second generation of clients.”

Lessons Learned

Alan is quick to point out the continued value of personal involvement, despite all the online businesses that have mushroomed worldwide. “I don’t ever want to get away from that personal connection. It is because of the way we treat each individual customer that they have been coming back over the past 35 years and now their children are coming to us for help with their engagements and weddings. It speaks for itself.”

Showroom

A. H. Fisher Diamonds has clients throughout the Jersey Shore, and NYC metropolitan area. We maintain a state-of-the-art showroom in Red Bank, NJ. A. H. Fisher Diamonds can also schedule private showings at their Manhattan office in New York City’s Diamond District.

Visit Us