It all began in the late 1970’s. Brothers Danny and Tony Clarke started doing jewelry repair work "after hours" for local jewelry stores who didn’t have bench jewelers. This business venture showed promise and so, in 1980 Danny decided to take some advanced jewelry courses at a well-known trade school in Paris, Texas.
After two years of intensive training in jewelry design, casting and gemology, Danny returned to Mobile, Alabama. He set up a small shop in the back room of a store nestled in Mobile’s Spring Hill area. Danny called the business "Jewelry Craft by Clarke". There, the business started moving away from "trade-type work" as Danny began building his own customer base through quality jewelry and workmanship. The business quickly outgrew the small, back room shop and relocated to The Holiday Place at 4513 Old Shell Road. With the new location, came a new name: "Gold Art Designs in Jewelry". Brothers and business partners, Pat and Tony Clarke, soon joined Danny as full-time personnel.
In 1998, after sixteen successful years at The Holiday Place, Gold Art moved to a freestanding building just three doors down from 4501 Old Shell Road. This new retail location offered more exposure, more growth and the addition of an old friend in jewelry, Paul C. Moore, who is now retired. Not much later, another old friend, Ernest White, joined the team bringing over twenty years of experience as a bench jeweler.
Recently in 2006, Gold Art moved to a brand new building and partnered with Tony's son, Russ Clarke. Our current location is just a few doors down from the last store. We’re now at 4503 Old Shell Road and still offering the same personal service, quality jewelry, and craftsmanship as always.
Gold Art is small enough to offer personal service and large enough to compete with other traditional jewelry stores. It is our goal to set the hallmark in retail jewelry with competence, quality, and integrity.