NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 55

jewelry,” he laughs.
After the jewelry store 
in West Bloomfield closed, 
Gross started working for 
another jeweler where he 
would work in the back 
doing jewelry repairs. 
His senior year of high 
school, Gross switched 
from Southfield-Lathrup 
High School to Berkley 
High because they had an 
excellent jewelry casting 
program. And that’s where 
Gross met his future wife.
“I gave her my business 
card. I started my own 
business when I was 17, 
renting out studio space 
three days a week in the 
Magic Touch Hair Salon in 

Oak Park for $400 
per month,” Gros 
says. 
With the money 
he earned from 
making and selling jewel-
ry, Gross earned enough 
money to buy a car and put 
himself through gemology 
school.
“It’s been a long jour-
ney,” says Gross, who puts 
on tefillin weekly with 
Chabad’s Friday Boys at his 
Berkley jewelry studio. 
“I hope that people will 
be inspired to donate to the 
cause. I have a pipe dream 
of raising $1 million from 
some expats who live down 
in Mexico for a school in 
San Miguel de Allende. 
I plan to have a conver-
sation with people after 
I’ve proven myself with 
this project. It’s pretty 
amazing,” Gross adds. 
“When I’m dead and 
gone, this philanthropy 
could snowball and go 
on forever.” 

To donate, go to www.mhg-

jewelry.com/mexico-fundraiser. 

For information on cultural 

tours, go to www.mhgjewelry.

com/jewelry-mexico-adven-

ture.

TOP LEFT: This is 
Jesus Villaverde 
Fuentes house/
teaching studio. 
RIGHT, TOP TO 
BOTTOM: The 
beautiful Lobby and 
Grounds of the Arte 
Instituto San Miguel 
De Allende Mexico.

Jesus and 
Matthew 
Gross, the 
first time 
they met