28 RETAILER HALL OF FAME 2026 organizations and associations. Coleman serves as the immediate past chair of Jewelers of America’s board of directors, while Mitchell is the president-elect of the American Gem Society’s international board of directors. “That’s something very special to me and an accomplishment I’m really proud of,” says Mitchell. “Being a part of that organization, and a bigger part of what’s going on in the industry, is really important and I’m really glad to be a part of that.” Though the jeweler operates three stores in Oklahoma City, Coleman, Mitchell, and Jim work together in the downtown location. People often ask why they don’t “divide and conquer” among the three locations. “It’s really because we have such capa- ble managers that we trust and they run a great store. So, we’re able to stay here and talk to each other and make all those higher-level decisions together, which has been good,” Coleman says. Coleman and Mitchell are especially proud of the leadership team they’ve built. “All our management team is ‘homegrown;’ we don’t really hire [for] management positions from the outside. They understand the business and they understand our culture and our philosophy. So they’re kind of an extension of us,” Coleman says. When hiring a new employee, they value experi- ence from outside of the jewelry industry. “I think working outside of the business gives you a perspective that you can’t get otherwise. It’s so valuable to us that we’re making sure our kids do the same thing if they’re interested in joining the business,” Coleman says. “It can make you really appreciate the business we have here when you go out and do other things.” KEEPERS OF THE FLAME The origin story of BC Clark Jewelers is an inspiring tale of a small-town farm boy achieving his dream of being a jeweler, weathering trials and tribulations to build a business that would last generations. To be the stewards of such a storied family business is a heavy weight to bear sometimes. “It helps that there’s two of us, so we have each other to lean on, and our father,” says Mitchell. “There is some pressure, but you can’t frame your mind that way. We’re always looking to grow or be different or be better at things,” says Coleman. Still, what their predecessors accomplished—growing a business that started with a corner bench in an unfamiliar town into an institu- tion that’s lasted 134 years—is not lost on them. “[B.C. Clark] created something special. A lot of it is how he treated people and the kind of people he hired.” –Mitchell Clark, BC Clark Jewelers Continued on page 30 COLEMAN AND MITCHELL CLARK 2026 Inductees BC Clark Jewelers opened its 8,500-square-foot Classen Curve store, which it says is the largest jewelry store in Oklahoma, in September 2020.
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