Faces of Southeast Missouri: Jayne Ervin

Jayne Ervin

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Jayne Ervin, owner of Jayson Jewelers, grew up in Cape Girardeau with a city grandmother and a country grandmother. She says her city grandmother, Grace Erlbacher Dace, was a classy lady, always well-dressed, with hair and nails to match. As a young girl, Ervin remembers being attracted to her “costume jewelry and pretty rings.” Her country grandmother, Helen Blattner, was more of the outdoorsy type, and a good businesswoman. After her Grandmother Blattner passed away, Ervin inherited money that allowed her to start a jewelry business. Looking back, Ervin attributes both women's influence to the start-up of a nearly 40-year career in downtown Cape.

“I grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s when downtown was booming,” Ervin says. “We’d go to Woolworth’s, do our shopping, have lunch. Downtown is the heart of our community and the place to be.”

Ervin opened Jayson Jewelers at 33 N. Main St. in 1984, as a mother of three with the youngest child headed to school, purchasing the jewelry on consignment from a woman in New York. If Ervin sold a piece of jewelry, she sent payment and acquired more. Her mother, Joyce Blattner, worked with her for several years, and as business grew, so did her inventory and the need for a larger space. A few years later, Ervin married Loyd Ervin, a local metalsmith and business owner. Together, they remodeled and expanded 115 Themis St., the home of Ervin’s Metalsmiths, and Jayson Jeweler’s new location. They moved their family into the apartment above the store.

“I needed the adventure [of the business] and to be productive, but I also wanted to be where my children were when they came home from school. That was very important to me,” Ervin says. “I couldn’t have made it at the mall with the long hours. It would have been too demanding.”

As it was, Ervin’s children grew up in the business, and her two daughters, Kendra Harris and Regan Laiben, continue to work with her today. Ervin says they bring a collaboration of new ideas with their youth; they know the business inside and out and have developed customer relationships and connections within the industry. As young adults, Ervin took them with her on her annual diamond-buying trip to Antwerp, Belgium, to visit the diamond district and acquire goods requested by customers, as well as new inventory for the store. These days, the girls go by themselves.

Of course, with the increase of online shopping and stores closing across the country, the retail industry continues to change. Yet, Ervin says they are fortunate to be in a business where people like to touch, see and feel the merchandise. She knows a nice piece of jewelry means different things to different people. Regardless of the occasion, Ervin enjoys helping customers commemorate their special events.

“One of these days, I’m probably going to retire,” says Ervin, who believes her success is due to hard work, determination and good luck. “But 40 years in, and we keep getting bigger and better.”