“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” the old song goes, and while a beautiful diamond certainly has a way of capturing the heart, some of life’s most precious treasures can’t be measured in carats, cut, or clarity.
Kim Gregory Clendenin, president of R. Gregory Jewelers in Statesville, understands that better than most. Alongside her husband, Matt, she has spent many years developing a discerning eye for what makes a diamond, a piece of jewelry, or a cherished keepsake truly special. Jewelry may sparkle, but the memories we attach to it are what make it priceless.
Since Kim’s father, Rick Gregory, opened the store in 1981, R. Gregory Jewelers has built something far more enduring than a jewelry business. The family has cultivated decades of relationships, trust, and loyalty. In Kim’s hands, her father’s business has become an heirloom of its own.
“He had a vision,” Kim reflects, “for a store that would offer exceptional jewelry and customer service while making everyone who walked through the door feel special. I have had the opportunity of learning from my dad and seeing his passion come to life.”
Kim and Matt married in 2002. Two years later, Matt joined the family business after Rick recognized qualities in his son-in-law that reminded him of himself. The partnership proved to be a natural fit. When Rick died in 2013, Kim and Matt found themselves carrying forward not only a business, but a deeply personal family legacy.
“It has been such a privilege,” Kim says, “to continue to build on the relationships that Dad formed and create our own new ones along the way. Customers who first came to R. Gregory for an engagement ring now return years later for an anniversary or christening gift … it’s an honor to be a part of those moments.”
Much like Kim’s own upbringing, her children have grown up alongside the business, experiencing firsthand the joys and demands of being part of a family enterprise, from accompanying their parents to events to answering the phones. For Kim, the connection between family, faith, and work remains at the heart of it all. “We truly are a family business, and it’s hard to separate work from family, so we just roll with it,” she smiles. “And we put our faith in God.”
For all of the history rooted in Statesville, Kim’s work has taken her far beyond North Carolina. Antwerp, Belgium, is one of the world’s great centers of the diamond trade, and Kim and Matt travel there at least twice a year to hand-select diamonds directly from cutters. Before each trip, Kim works with customers to understand exactly what they are looking for. Then she and Matt take that vision with them in search of the right stone.
“For me,” she says, “one of my favorite parts is working with our customers before our trips … there is something wonderfully personal about that process. They are sharing their deepest feelings with me, and I don’t take that for granted.”
Another important part of Kim’s work has little to do with buying something new; instead, she helps customers transform inherited or sentimental jewelry into pieces that fit their lives today while preserving the history of the original.
“I love sitting with clients and creating jewelry from their own collection,” Kim says. “An outdated ring becomes a new pendant. Emeralds from their grandmother’s jewelry can be incorporated into a necklace and earring set. Items that have spent years tucked away in a jewelry box can be worn again.”
In 2025, Kim was selected to serve on the Independent Jewelers Organization’s Buyers Review Board, one of only five independent jewelers chosen nationally for the board. It was another reflection of the knowledge and expertise she has developed over a lifetime in the jewelry industry.
More recently, the store was accepted as a member of the American Gem Society, an honor Kim considers especially meaningful. “Being accepted as a member of the American Gem Society is one of the things I’m most proud of. AGS is known for its commitment to ethics, education, and the highest standards in the jewelry industry.”
Kim’s passion for her work is matched by a deep sense of gratitude and faith, both of which have helped guide her through some of life’s most challenging seasons. Losing her father, whom she describes as her “rock,” was very difficult and unexpected; then, just last year, she faced another profound loss with the passing of her mother after a long, progressive illness. Balancing her roles as a business owner, mother, and caregiver during that time profoundly changed her perspective. “Through it all,” she shares, “I learned to lean on my faith in a new way and felt the closeness of Jesus like never before.”
Today, Kim’s relationship with God has become an even greater part of her life and sense of purpose. She now serves as the director of an outreach ministry in London, UK, where she spends her summers connecting with others and sharing the message of the Gospel. Her experiences have taught her to trust that life’s path may not always unfold as planned, but that there is purpose in the journey. As she often reminds herself, “It’s not my plan, but His.”
