While the era of 1970s leisure suits gave way to denim and neon, young Chuck Cooper took a chance on a different fashion trend sweeping the market for men and women alike: gold chain necklaces. “I bought $1,100 worth of gold chains, put them on display at my family’s store, and went back to college,” he says. “When I came back, there was a drawer full of money, and I went to buy more.”
The transformation of Van Atkins from large-scale department store to specialty jeweler began in the early 1980s while Chuck was a pre-med student at the University of Mississippi. He often played golf on the weekends with his sweetheart’s boss, the owner of a jewelry shop. Eventually, he brought the man to his family’s department store in New Albany, Mississippi. Impressed by the consistent foot traffic, the businessman encouraged Chuck to dabble in the jewelry market by selling gold chains, one of the trendiest accessories at the time.
