Long before there was a James Gattas Jewelers, there was a family that went to work together.
On December 30, 1957, Fred Patrick Gattas Sr. founded the Fred P. Gattas Company in Memphis. What began as a wholesale and catalog showroom business grew into a fixture in the city for nearly four decades, and into the place where an entire family learned what it means to serve a community.
It was, in every sense, a family business. James Gattas worked alongside his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his aunts, uncles, and cousins. The hours were long, especially during the holiday season, and the work was hard. But that's not what James remembers most.
"It was absolutely wonderful," James said. "We worked together to make the stores as successful as we could, and it was just a lot of fun. We have so many memories of growing up together that just fill my whole heart."
Learning the business from the ground up
James started young. At about 12 years old, he was already in the warehouse, moving boxes and running errands. After graduating from college in 1972, he joined the company's jewelry department full time. Over the next two decades, he learned the craft, the customers, and the care that fine jewelry deserves.
Just as important were the lessons he learned by watching his father.
"Watching him in business, and watching him when he was involved in so many charitable events, he taught us dedication and hard work," James said. "You can be successful in anything if you just put your mind to it."
Fred also left the family with a simple philosophy that it still lives by today: change, modify, adapt. Styles evolve, technology advances, and the world keeps moving. A business that lasts, he believed, moves with it.
Fred's commitment to Memphis reached well beyond the store. [His connection to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and ALSAC dates back to Danny Thomas himself. Confirm the details of Fred's role and how the family would like it described.] That spirit of giving became a family tradition.
A new chapter on Poplar Avenue
When the Fred P. Gattas Company closed, James carried everything he had learned into a store of his own. James Gattas Jewelers opened in 1996, built on the same foundation of quality, value, and a level of personal service that turns customers into lifelong friends.
Thirty years later, that foundation hasn't changed. James Gattas Jewelers is known for its diamonds, fine and fashion jewelry, custom design, and expert repairs. But the store's real legacy is its relationships. Some families are now on their third generation of shopping with the Gattas family, marking engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, and the heirlooms they pass down.
"I like to think that the loyalty comes from us being loyal to them first," James said. In all these years, the store has never missed a customer's engagement, birthday, or Christmas, even when it meant working around the clock.
Family is still at the heart of the store. James's nephew, Philip Gattas, has worked alongside him for 20 years, and the store's jewelers and staff carry the same commitment to every customer who walks through the door.
Giving back to the city that gave so much
The tradition of giving that Fred started continues today. The Gattas family has long supported organizations including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Youth Villages, the Assisi Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs, Porter-Leath, Habitat for Humanity, and St. Patrick's Food Pantry.
"Being able to build a business and make it successful, and to support not just my family but our community, is what I'm most proud of," James said.
This year marks 30 years of James Gattas Jewelers. To every family that has trusted us with life's most meaningful moments: thank you. Cheers to 30 years.
On December 30, 1957, Fred Patrick Gattas Sr. founded the Fred P. Gattas Company in Memphis. What began as a wholesale and catalog showroom business grew into a fixture in the city for nearly four decades, and into the place where an entire family learned what it means to serve a community.
It was, in every sense, a family business. James Gattas worked alongside his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his aunts, uncles, and cousins. The hours were long, especially during the holiday season, and the work was hard. But that's not what James remembers most.
"It was absolutely wonderful," James said. "We worked together to make the stores as successful as we could, and it was just a lot of fun. We have so many memories of growing up together that just fill my whole heart."
Learning the business from the ground up
James started young. At about 12 years old, he was already in the warehouse, moving boxes and running errands. After graduating from college in 1972, he joined the company's jewelry department full time. Over the next two decades, he learned the craft, the customers, and the care that fine jewelry deserves.
Just as important were the lessons he learned by watching his father.
"Watching him in business, and watching him when he was involved in so many charitable events, he taught us dedication and hard work," James said. "You can be successful in anything if you just put your mind to it."
Fred also left the family with a simple philosophy that it still lives by today: change, modify, adapt. Styles evolve, technology advances, and the world keeps moving. A business that lasts, he believed, moves with it.
Fred's commitment to Memphis reached well beyond the store. [His connection to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and ALSAC dates back to Danny Thomas himself. Confirm the details of Fred's role and how the family would like it described.] That spirit of giving became a family tradition.
A new chapter on Poplar Avenue
When the Fred P. Gattas Company closed, James carried everything he had learned into a store of his own. James Gattas Jewelers opened in 1996, built on the same foundation of quality, value, and a level of personal service that turns customers into lifelong friends.
Thirty years later, that foundation hasn't changed. James Gattas Jewelers is known for its diamonds, fine and fashion jewelry, custom design, and expert repairs. But the store's real legacy is its relationships. Some families are now on their third generation of shopping with the Gattas family, marking engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, and the heirlooms they pass down.
"I like to think that the loyalty comes from us being loyal to them first," James said. In all these years, the store has never missed a customer's engagement, birthday, or Christmas, even when it meant working around the clock.
Family is still at the heart of the store. James's nephew, Philip Gattas, has worked alongside him for 20 years, and the store's jewelers and staff carry the same commitment to every customer who walks through the door.
Giving back to the city that gave so much
The tradition of giving that Fred started continues today. The Gattas family has long supported organizations including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Youth Villages, the Assisi Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs, Porter-Leath, Habitat for Humanity, and St. Patrick's Food Pantry.
"Being able to build a business and make it successful, and to support not just my family but our community, is what I'm most proud of," James said.
This year marks 30 years of James Gattas Jewelers. To every family that has trusted us with life's most meaningful moments: thank you. Cheers to 30 years.