The story of Nelson Coleman Jewelers doesn’t begin in Frederick, or even in the United States. The founding of the sixth-generation independent jeweler dates all the way back to 1856, along the cobblestone streets of Munich, Bavaria.
The institution’s founder, Adolph Doederlein, was a jeweler and watchmaker whose craftsmanship was so renowned that he was chosen as the Keeper of Clocks for Bavaria’s royal court. His company as it is today seeks to provide the same level of precision and quality that lend themselves to producing family heirloom jewelry pieces.
As Amanda Coleman-Phelps, the business’s current President and Owner, explains it: “We’re in business to enrich the lives of individuals in our communities. Our mission is to design and create a holistic jewelry experience.” As the ninth-oldest independent jeweler in North America, they appreciate the value of keeping the legacy of craftsmanship alive and building a business around genuine community relationships.
Commitment & Craftsmanship Through Generations
The next chapter of the Nelson Coleman story began in Baltimore.
Adolph Doederlein’s son Ludwig immigrated to Maryland, and planted the flag for the business with an outlet in Baltimore’s premier shopping district. By 1917, it had expanded to a larger space at Park & Lexington, and in 1930, the third generation, Carl J. Doederlein, took the helm of the business and renamed it after himself.
The next to carry on the legacy, Carl’s daughter Virginia, married prominent Baltimore artist and actor Nelson Coleman, who took on the business and also decided to rename it in order to capitalize on his association with art. The company in its current form, Nelson Coleman Jewelers, was born.
Subsequent generations have focused on further expansion and growth. Virginia’s sons Chris and Mark, with the help of Chris’s wife Peggy, grew the business and relocated from Baltimore to Towson in 2002. Chris’s daughter Amanda, current President and Owner, has since opened additional Nelson Coleman outlets in Woodbridge, VA; Frederick, MD; Easton, MD; and Inwood, WV.
“I am extremely proud to have worked at Nelson Coleman Jewelers, our family business, for over 30 years,” previous Store Manager Peggy says. “I have enjoyed watching my daughter blossom into an incredible leader in the jewelry industry.”
Not Just Jewelry – Generosity
Nelson Coleman is not just unique for its longevity.
Beginning with the fifth generation of ownership, the organization began to explore a special partnership program that would allow it to feed the fabric of its communities in an even more meaningful way.
“One of the things not everyone realizes about the jewelry industry is that it has this standard around discounts,” Coleman-Phelps says. “We wondered if we could repurpose or recast that in a way that would contribute and provide community benefit.”
The Chris Coleman Enrichment Program, an initiative unique to Nelson Coleman, takes 10% of the retail of every full-price piece of jewelry sold and donates it to an organization of the customer’s choice.
“We want our donations to represent the priorities of our customer base,” Coleman-Phelps says. “We align our charitable giving directly with who walks in the door.”
This means that, for instance, purchasing a full-price engagement ring – or other piece of special occasion jewelry – at Nelson Coleman is also a community investment and act of philanthropy. So far, the organization has donated over $13,000 in Frederick alone.
Melissa Lentz, Co-Chair of Frederick nonprofit WISH (Women Inspiring Supporting and Helping), notes that Nelson Coleman’s “generosity and support” has “made a meaningful impact on our fundraisers and the community we serve.”
Nelson Coleman also donates gift coupons to area charity auctions and raffles. The business’s “shopping spree” donation was one of several quality prizes that helped the Frederick Steeplechasers Running Club raise over $23,000 for the Women’s Giving Circle of Frederick County, says Harriet Langlois, a Running Club representative and Race Director.
This core value of community investment is “packaged” and manifested in Nelson Coleman’s cheerful mascot, Nelly. An adorable jewelry box character tied with a golden bow, Nelly perfectly captures Nelson Coleman’s mission of enhancing local communities through jewelry. A purchase experience at the boutique isn’t just about jewelry, it’s about giving back.
A Focus on “One of a Kind”
Other notable features of Nelson Coleman’s business include its estate jewelry and custom design specialties.
Estate jewelry, Coleman-Phelps says, makes up about one-third of Nelson Coleman’s sales. Simply referring to jewelry that has been previously owned, estate jewelry encompasses everything from contemporary pieces to decades-old heirlooms. Specially-trained team members select and acquire distinctive pieces from independent sources.
“I love working for Nelson Coleman Jewelers because it allows me to hand-select the keepsakes that are passed down from generation to generation,” Amie Benson, Nelson Coleman Merchandising Director, says.
The business’s custom design expertise dates from the days of Nelson Coleman, who was passionate about beautiful jewelry as wearable art. Designers on staff are capable of rendering everything from a “napkin sketch” to a custom configuration of elements from different pieces, Coleman-Phelps says. The business will provide a wax model for approval and fitting, and can repurpose and reset preexisting stones.
Overall, the jeweler’s arrival on the Frederick business scene, says Coleman-Phelps, has been a perfect mesh with its core values, and represented somewhat of a “homecoming” for the team. “I love that our downtown Frederick location honors our family legacy of downtown business,” she says.
“We were welcomed to Frederick with open arms,” she adds. “The community here is so committed, collaborative, and intentional – we knew our philanthropic business model would fit in right away.” NelsonColeman.com
“We’re in business to enrich the lives of individuals in our communities. Our mission is to design and
create a holistic jewelry experience.”
“We align our charitable giving directly with who walks in the door.”