FOR 25 YEARS, jeweler and craftsman Robert Roth has been witness to a timeless tradition. It begins when a couple enters his Jefferson Highway store and wanders to the case holding engagement rings. The two pause, point and whisper; it’s one of the most significant first purchases they’ll make, and it’s laced with excitement, joy and nerves.

Roth immediately puts them at ease. Offering a rare combination of artistic skill and practical knowledge, he pinpoints the kind of look the couple seeks. If they can’t find what they want among the carefully selected sets of rings in his cases, he’ll start drawing, and soon enough, transform their vision into a stunning reality.

“One of the biggest things that sets us apart is that we offer specialized design services,” says Roth. “A big trend today is that couples come in with a specific idea of what they want. As a designer and craftsman, I can get them there.”

Engagement rings are the entry point for many couples, and many will go on to establish a lifelong business relationship with Roth, returning for gifts for anniversaries and other special occasions. It’s not uncommon for Roth to bump into rushed husbands around the holidays who ask him to select something to put under the tree. Roth says he has total recall on the style and budget preferences of his regular customers.

“I tell them, ‘I got you,’” he says, “and I go back to the store and find something that I know will be a great fit.”

This year, Robert Roth Jewelers celebrates 25 years in business. The original Jefferson Plaza storefront has doubled in size since Roth first opened in the fall of 1991, and his staff is comprised of longtime employees. Manager and designer Truong “Muoi” Nguyen has worked with Roth for 33 years, and Patty Mauldin has led sales for more than two decades.

“We’ve had really low turnover, and our customers feel very comfortable working with people they know,” Roth says.

In 2013, Roth’s daughter, Kandice Roth, joined the business after first earning a degree in finance from LSU followed by a graduate degree from the Gemological Institute of America in New York City. Many of her GIA classmates were the sons and daughters of successful jewelers from around the United States and the world, says Kandice Roth.

“It’s a very small community of people, and it’s dominated by family businesses,” she says, adding, “I really caught on really fast to the field, and it gave me a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.”

While many jewelers nationwide are generations old, Roth is an original founder who fell into the field by accident. A native of Amite, Roth had a family friend who was headed to a watchmaking certification program at the Natchitoches Vocational Technical School in the late 1970s. Roth investigated the school for himself and discovered it offered a jewelry crafts and design program. It sounded interesting, and Roth liked working with his hands. Shortly before the program began, Roth enrolled, taking the final remaining spot.

“I knew nothing about jewelry at the time, except that every community seemed to have a jeweler,” he recalls. “But I liked it immediately and I found I was really good at it. I’ve been very blessed.”

Shortly after graduating, Roth got a job at The Goldsmith, a popular Baton Rouge store on Acadian Thruway owned by master jeweler Danny Roane. Roth worked at The Goldsmith as a designer and store manager for a decade, and when Roane died unexpectedly, Roth went out on his own. Customers and sales reps followed him, and so did craftsman Muoi Nguyen, who also worked at The Goldsmith.

“Muoi and I have been working side by side for a long time,” Roth says.

Roth says his early years in business routinely included 16-hour days, but that his hard work paid off with repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. He credits his “on the bench” experience for giving his store an edge that few others share. Roth is comfortable both in sales and in design and fabrication. It makes it easier to deliver an original piece, an antique reproduction or an enhancement to an existing piece, because Roth understands exactly what is involved.

Ten years ago, Roth started using a CAD program to bring his hand-drawn designs to life. Once a customer approves a design, he or Nguyen work on the fabrication. A growing market is tweaking dated pieces. For example, Roth receives regular requests to freshen up solitaire engagement rings by placing stones in showier settings that might include additional gems or a “halo” of diamonds. One of the most important aspects of reworking jewelry, he says, is to ensure that a new piece is crafted so carefully that it looks original.

Along with his design skills, Roth is known for his balanced and high-quality inventory.

“Every diamond in the store has been hand-selected by me,” he says. “I work with the same sales people I have for decades, and I really trust the quality of what they’re bringing me and the price I’m getting.”

It’s not just diamond engagement rings. Robert Roth Jewelers carries a wide variety of colored gemstones, including sapphire, emerald and ruby rings, bracelets, pendants and earrings. He offers numerous-high quality semiprecious stones as well.

“We have some of the finest colored gemstones around,” he notes.

Kandice Roth’s knowledge of diamonds and gemstones is enabling the store to expand its appraisal market more aggressively to meet growing demand. Understanding the value of a piece of jewelry is an important aspect of the business, because more customers rightly recognize their purchase as an investment, Roth says. The Roths also advise families who have inherited jewelry on the quality and value of each piece and how it can be best enjoyed.

The future looks bright, says Roth, but the operation isn’t resting on its laurels. He and his team are intent on appealing to the next generation of jewelry buyers.

“We’ve had an incredible first 25 years,” he says. “We’re looking forward to the next 25.”