Ray Harp Jewelers celebrates 70 years in Cass County

Since 1953, and through nearly a handful of generations of the Harp family, Ray Harp Jewelers has served Cass County with integrity and personal customer service for 70 years.

Located at 108 N. East Street in Atlanta, Texas, the business first got its start in nearby Hughes Springs, Texas where it was established by Ray and Doris Harp.

In the summer of 1963, Ray and Doris decided to move their business to Atlanta, where the business really began to grow and thrive.

Ray Harp got his start in the jewelry business while he was in the military, according to granddaughter-in-law Tamy Head, wife of Ray Harp’s grandson, Jon Head.

“(Ray) got his start out of the military,” Tamy said. “He started training on repairing watches and then that turned into repairing a whole box of watches.”

Eventually, the store was bought from Ray and Doris by their daughter and sonin- law, Donna Harp-Head and David Head.

Tamy said her father-in-law David came to work for his father-in-law Ray Harp in 1954.

David–just like Mr. Harp–took to repairing watches as a specialty.

“Sometimes people come in and call (David Head) Mr. Harp,” Tamy joked. “He just smiles and answers.”

Donna Harp-Head and David Head were a very happy addition to the family business with their son Jon in January 1974. In fact, David was said to be instrumental in helping Ray with repairs and sales while Ray focused on becoming Atlanta’s Diamond Store.

Tamy said her husband Jon Head–son of Donna and David–grew up in the very store they operate out of today.

“Jon got off the bus here,” Tamy said. “Now he’s worked full-time at the store for over 30 years.”

When Ray and Doris retired in 1997, David and Donna purchased the business.

Tamy and Jon were happily married in 1994 and continued to help improve the quality of the business. After Jon had worked alongside his parents for many years, he eventually became a graduate gemologist–now with more than 30 years of experience under his belt.

Sadly, 60 years after establishing Ray Harp Jewelers, Mr. Ray and Mrs. Doris both passed away in the spring of 2013– just 10 years ago.

For the last ten years, the family has gone on in their memory, with repeat customers and lots of custom designs–A specialty of Jon’s, Tamy said.

In the very same storefront that Jon got off the bus in his school days, he now designs custom jewelry for his clients and he and Tamy have children of their own.

“Jon is a certified gemologist and does some amazing custom designs,” Tamy said. “We do everything in-house except pearl resetting.”

“Even if Jon designs a ring 3D, the customer’s jewelry never leaves our possession, never shipped off,” she added.

Tamy said she came back to work with her husband in 2015.

Sometimes, she even teams up with her husband on custom designs, as she can’t help but know jewelry, having worked in the store.

But Tamy made it clear that her husband does all the actual designing.

“I can definitely tell him if I think something looks good or not,” she joked.

To find out more about the pieces and collections they carry, or to learn more about customizing your own piece, check out their website at https://rayharpjewelers. com/.

You can also catch them on Facebook at facebook.com/HarpsJewelers or just stop by the store for a look and a chat.

Kind, personable, artistically talented folks behind the same counter for decades– along with repeat customers and reasonable prices–make Ray Harp Jewelers a place that one can be certain the founders, Ray and Doris Harp would be proud of if they were here today.

The second, third, and fourth generations of the Harps’ business continues with the same service and integrity the customers have learned to trust. Having purchased the business in 2020, Jon and Tamy hope to continue the family tradition started by Ray and Doris back in 1953.

Ray Harp Jewelers has served Cass County since 1953.

108 N East St, Atlanta, TX