A girl's best friend: The ladies of Jayson Jewelers travel to the diamond capital of the world to hand-select jewels for their store -- here's what they've learned about the trade

On a recent trip to Belgium, Kendra Harris, her sister, Regan Laiben, and mother, Jayne Ervin, inspected a few hundred diamonds, determining what stones to bring back to Cape Girardeau to please and delight customers.

The October journey wasn't their first trip to Antwerp. They have traveled regularly to Antwerp to visit the one-square-mile diamond district -- about 85 percent of the world's rough diamonds annually pass through the district, making it the world's largest diamond center. The trio sees their personal selection of diamonds as a key to the success of Jayson Jewelers, their family-run business now in its 30th year.

While in Antwerp, they meet up with direct buying site holders that source diamonds directly from the DeBeers channel.

"The trips to Antwerp help us develop relationships with sellers and connects us directly with vendors," Harris says. "We see every stone before we buy it. Every stone has its own personality, whether it's the color, the size or the technique used in cutting it."

Jayne Ervin examines melee diamonds while shopping in Antwerp, Belgium. (Submitted photo)

Harris is a graduate gemologist, a degree earned in 2002 at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. The curriculum focuses on grading and identifying diamonds and gemstones. She also is a GIA-accredited jewelry professional.

The language of diamonds usually revolves around what is called "The Four Cs": -- carat, or size; clarity; color; and cut. For Harris, however, there is a fifth C, and that is customer service.

"Although Jayson is in a small town, we don't see ourselves as 'just another jewelry store,' and through the Antwerp trips we have the connections available to us to find anything a customer might want," Harris says, adding, for example, a customer may want to replace a lost diamond earring to complete the pair or may want to create a piece of jewelry to make an ensemble.

"Whether trendy or classic, a customer may want a simple custom piece that showcases the diamond. With the diamonds we source, we allow our customers to be creative in the whole process," Harris says.

Treat yourself

Who says jewelry has to be a gift? Here's a guide to shopping for your own quality jewelry

Chocolate diamond parcels on display in Antwerp, Belgium. (Submitted photo)

To select a quality piece of jewelry, begin with the basics, says Kendra Harris of Jayson Jewelers.

"Start by looking at the metal, whether it's sterling silver, 10-carat gold or 14-carat gold," she says. "Then, look at the fittings," she says, referring to the prongs of the setting for a stone's setting or a clasp, a bail, fasteners, soldering, etc.

She recommends purchasing "from people who know what they're doing," suggesting that buying jewelry from a jewelry-only retailer may be the best route.

"We try hard to understand what the customer is asking for. We ask questions. 'What is the occasion? Who is this for? What are some favorite colors? What do they like to do?'" Harris says, adding, "The products we sell have to be to our standards, quality items, although we are price-point conscious. In the end, we're here to build relationships. We sell products we're proud of, and we want the customer to be proud of them, too."