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 In 1940, Ben Fox opened Fox Jewelers, the first full-line jewelry store in Beaufort, S.C. After his retirement in 1978, his daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Paul Isaac, purchased the business. Mark Stokes, a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America in Santa Monica, CA was hired as a manager in 1982. Mark had previously worked for two other family guild stores, Galloway & Moseley Jewelers in his hometown of Sumter, SC and Sylvan Jewelers in Columbia, SC.
In 1991, Mark and his wife, Terri, a graduate of USC with a degree in Business Administration - Management, purchased the historic downtown jewelry store and renamed it Fox-Bay Street Jewelers, d.b.a. Bay Street Jewelers. Since then, they have grown steadily and pride themselves on customer service. Bay Street’s motto is “Doing Business with Southern Hospitality” because they want everyone to feel at home when shopping there.
Bay Street Jewelers is a member of the American Gem Society (the highest rating a jewelry store can achieve based on ethics, education and credit) and the Independent Jewelers Organization. They are also a member of Jewelers of America and very involved in the South Carolina Jewelers Organization, with Mark and Terri both having been past presidents of the Board. Mark is presently a member of the Board of Directors for the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, and Bay Street Jewelers is active in Main Street Beaufort, USA.
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In his spare time, Mark enjoys working on home projects, fishing and golfing, having served as chairman of the Beaufort Charities Golf Invitational. Terri, an enthusiastic member of the Lowcountry Rotary Club, likes to read and spend time with her family. Together, they enjoy traveling and are members of the Baptist Church of Beaufort’s Agape Sunday school class, the Beaufort Shag Club and Gamecock Club. Avid football fans, they are now a "house divided" – their son, Brandon, graduated from Clemson University in 2010 with a degree in civil engineering. As you can see, Bay Street Jewelers supports both great SC universities!
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Jeanie Walker, Sales Manager
Jeanie moved to Beaufort fourteen years ago after her husband took early retirement. They wanted to be near the water, live oaks and moss that reminded them of their childhoods in Louisiana.
She has worked at Bay Street Jewelers for the past twelve years, first as a part-time sales associate. She loved the clients and work so much that she quickly became a full-time staff member, then the sales manager. Since then, she has earned her accreditations as a Certified Sales Professional (GIA, AJA) and as a Senior Sales Professional (JA).
Layla Manning, Sales Associate and Pearl Stringer
A native of Charleston, Layla moved to Beaufort five years ago after graduating from Hollins University with a degree in English and a double minor in history and art history.
She has worked at Bay Street Jewelers for three and a half years as a sales associate and pearl stringer. Her favorite thing about working at Bay Street Jewelers is that there is always something to celebrate with her clients -– birthdays, anniversaries, new babies. Every day is a special occasion for someone.
Fran Tuttle, Sales Associate
Fran moved to Beaufort five years ago after living in New Hampshire for twenty years. She was very happy to get back to her southern roots and close to the beach. In September 2009, Fran joined Bay Street Jewelers as a part-time sales associate and to assist with inventory and repair paperwork. Being a people person, Fran enjoys meeting new clients each day and learning about what brought them to the Beaufort area, as well as assisting regular clients with their purchases.
Frank Huey, Sales Associate
Frank started working at Bay Street Jewelers in 1981. He graduated from Morris Hill Baptist College in 1985, then worked for Federated Department Stores in Washington DC, Greenville, SC and Atlanta, GA. He then managed the largest day spa in the Southeast for several years before returning to Beaufort. Frank rejoined the Bay Street Jewelers staff as a part-time sales associate three years ago, then earned his accreditation as a Certified Sales Professional (JA).
Rob Perry, Bench Jeweler and Watchmaker
Rob has fourteen years experience in the jewelry industry and has held positions as varied as sales associate, store manager, and bench jeweler. Over the years he has earned several certifications including Accredited Jewelry Professional (GIA), Certified Sales Associate (AGS), and Certified Sales Professional (JA). He was originally with Bay Street Jewelers from 2004 - 2007 as a sales associate. He then returned to Bay Street Jewelers in 2010 to be the bench jeweler and watchmaker.
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