Kevin,
I have only been into cad/cam for a couple of years now. I started out with the small roland mdx-15 using their bundled software. I wasnt satisfied with Rolands "3d" software and so, about 7 months ago, I purchased Rhino Flamingo, and Techgems. I also bought a new minitech 4axis mill. I can't be more pleased in my decision now. I was daunted at first, but after a couple of weeks of studying all the tutorials I could get my hands on, things began to click. I seriously considered Matrix and have quite a bit of experience with ArtCam.
My understanding is that Matrix is basically rhino with many plugins added that are jewelry specific. I figured if I could learn rhino, then matrix would become unnecessary. Thats why I opted for Rhino/Techgems instead. I saved myself about $5000.00
Once you get over the initial learning curve, things will get much easier. I highly recommend anything Jesse Kaufmann offers as well as Keith at Cadwax.com. He has some free tutorials that are jewelry specific. Once you work through these, I would recommend the advanced or monthly tutorials. Both of these guys are what I would consider Guru's in jewelry designing. Also, Frenchy Pilou has a nice website with links that are very helpful. Even the tutorials that are not jewelry specific are very helpful.
Once you tackle the basics of Rhino, then Moi is a breeze! Michael has done an outstanding job making the interface very user friendly and easy to use.
Are you planning on milling your own designs or sending them out to a service bureau?
If I can be of any assistance, feel free to email me at ksandersATsbcglobal.net