Mathews Jewel Review

Editors' review

Mathews has designed another top end bow specifically for female archers. The Jewel is deigned to take the place of the Mathews Passion, and it should be appealing to all female archers. With specifications sure to match most female shooters needs, the Jewel delivers in every way possible. The smooth drawing, quick shooting speed of the Jewel combined with a lightweight design and industry leading technology, women finally have an option for a top notch bow designed specifically for their needs. The Jewel is draw length specific, and some female shooters may not enjoy the girly colors and graphics, but after shooting the Jewel and experiencing its performance, those minor things can be overlooked. With a $999 price tag, shooters will need to fall in love with the Jewel in order to justify the cost, but those without a budget will love what the bow has to offer.

Finish

Mathews does a great job finishing their archery equipment making sure it will last for as long as shooters are using the bow. The Jewel is available in several appealing options based on what each individual person is interested in. For target shooters and hunters, the Jewel has options for everyone. Like other Mathews hunting bows, the Lost Camo finish pattern is available on the Jewel; Mathews also provides matching accessories for this pattern as well. For those wanting a simpler design, the Jewel is offered in all black as well. Target shooters will choose between a pink or turquoise riser topped off with black limbs.

Riser

The riser is based on the same technology of the Mathews Z-Series bows, featuring the gridlock riser. This riser is proven to give the bow superior strength while minimizing the overall mass of the bow. The waffle like cutouts give the overall appearance of the bow a very unique look not offered by anyone else. The reflexed riser helps with the past parallel limb design and the 6 3/8 inch brace height measurement. Mounting in the rear of the bow, the Jewel riser comes with a Dead End string stop to stop the forward movement of the string after the arrow has been released. This string stop system is fully adjustable for shooters to fine tune, but there should not be too much adjustment needed from the factory. This holes lines up perfectly with the front mounting stabilizer hole allowing any additional vibration to be transferred even further away from the shooters hand and way from the bow. The reverse assist roller guard features a pink wheel and works well at reducing friction caused from the cables while the bow is drawn. The cables are fully contained, and appear on the opposite side of the roller than traditional roller guard systems. This also helps cut down on friction as well. The top and the bottom of the riser feature dampener mounting holes for the Mathews harmonic dampening system to be utilized which helps to eliminate even more vibration. The dampeners are available in a variety of colors as well to help give the bow a customized look.

Grip

Just like other high end Mathews bows, the Jewel features the Slim Fit Inline walnut grip. This grip really does look awesome and has been slimed down from past years. However, the wooden grip may still be a little on the large side for some shooters. Aside from the stock grip option, shooters can also opt for the aftermarket focus grip, which is a rubber composite material that is much thinner than the stock walnut grip. Regardless of the shooters personal preference, the grip should be easy to repeat. They also feature an alignment mark on the back so archers know where the center of the grip is and where it should properly line up before each shot.

Limbs

The past parallel limb design looks similar to other offerings in the Mathew lineup. The SE5 Composite Slim Limbs are designed to be 20% lighter than previous models while maintaining great durability as well. Available in ten pound increments, with maximum draw weights of 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60-pounds, shooters should love the five-pound maximum weight intervals. This is a welcomed addition as far as specifications are concerned. The limb graphics are offered in gold, pink, teal, and platinum for shooters who do not want the bow to look too girly. The limbs are held in place using the Spherelock Pivoting Limb Lock System. The lightweight pivoting pocket ensures constant contact and pressure with the limbs throughout the entire draw cycle. The Jewel limbs also have a string suppressor located on the top and bottom of the bow near the cams. When these suppressors work along with the Dead End, string stop, the Jewel releases the arrow extremely smooth. These suppressors keep the string from whipping back and forth and causing noise, vibration, and undue wear on the stings. The rubber dampeners are also color customizable as well for shooters interested in doing so.

Eccentric System

The single cam perimeter weighted Jewel cam is adjustable in half-inch increments from 22-29 inches. Despite this rather large range, draw length is cam specific, which means changing the draw length requires a pro shop, a press, and purchasing new cams, which are a little pricey. The good news is, shooters should leave the pro shop perfectly fitted with the correct cam anyways. The 80% let off cam also features an inertia disc that works in the opposite direction of the firing limbs to help deaden the bows vibration even more. The Jewel is speed rated using a 29-inch draw at 60 pounds, and shoots an impressive speed of 325 feet per second. That's not too shabby for a smooth drawing cam system.

Draw Cycle/Shootability

Female shooters are going to love how smooth this draw cycle is. The Jewel draws like a dream! From start to finish, the perimeter weighted Jewel cam is smooth. The back wall is decently solid for a single cam not featuring a draw stop. The generous valley will not make the string seem like it wants to jump forward while settling the pin, and the arrow release feels great. There is not much to nitpick on the Jewel's shooting performance. With three dampeners and the metal inertia disc in the cam, the bow is silent and completely shock free, even with its bare bow weight of 3.6 pounds. With an axel-to-axel measurement of 28-inches, and a brace height of 6 3/8-inches, the Jewel holds rock solid. Shooters are going to be shocked at how great the bow feels in hand, through the draw cycle, and after the shot.

Usage Scenarios

The Mathews Jewel is a multipurpose bow designed specifically for female archers. Whether shooters want to hunt or target shoot, the Jewel will be a top contender. Although many shooters prefer a longer axel-to-axel bow for target shooting, many female shooters will substitute a bow designed for women rather than choosing a bow that may not fit them properly.

Comparisons

Bow	Mathews Jewel	Mathews Passion
Version	2016	2011
Picture
Brace Height	6.375 "	6 "
AtA Length	28 "	29.75 "
Draw Length	22 " - 29 "	22.5 " - 29 "
Draw Weight	30 lbs - 60 lbs	30 lbs - 70 lbs
IBO Speed	325 fps	325 fps
Weight	3.6 lbs	3.6 lbs
Let-Off	80%	80%
Where to buy Best prices online	$75 Compare prices	$500 Compare prices
	compare more bows

Both bows are great offerings for female shooters because they were designed specifically for female shooters. Mathews did not cut any corners with either rig, but the Jewel has some much more appealing features and designs sure to draw the attention of serious female archers. However, this also comes with a more expensive price tag as well compared to Mathews Passion. The Jewel is a more rounded rig, in terms of performance, but the price may not be too steep for some shooters.

Summary

Mathews has hit a homerun offering the Jewel as the next women's multipurpose bow. With 7-inches of draw length adjustment, and maximum draw weights available in 5-pound increments; the Jewel is completely decked out with lots of useful technology and specifications. Although there is an option for different color limb decals, they may be a little on the girly side for some shooters. With a $999 price tag, archers are going to have to be fairly serious in order to justify the steep cost. With that in mind, the Jewel is going to perform flawlessly for a very long time.