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, California was hired as a manager in 1982.  Mark had previously worked for two other family guild stores, Galloway & Moseley Jewelers (in his home town of Sumter, S.C.) and Sylvan Jewelers in Columbia, S.C.

In 1991, Mark and his wife, Terri, purchased the historical downtown jewelry store and renamed it Fox-Bay Street Jewelers, d.b.a. Bay Street Jewelers.  We have been growing steadily every year and pride ourselves on customer service.  Our motto is “Doing Business with Southern Hospitality” because we want everyone to feel at home when they shop with us.

We are a member of the American Gem Society (the highest rating a jewelry store can achieve based on ethics, education and credit) and a member of the Independent Jewelers Organization (only 800 members worldwide).  We are also a member of Jewelers of America and very active in the South Carolina Jewelers Organization.  Mark has served as President and Chairman of the Board, and Terri is currently serving as the President.  Mark is presently a member of the Board of Directors for the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, and we are active in the Main Street Beaufort, USA.  Terri is also a member of the Lowcountry Rotary Club.

Terri and Mark are active members of the Baptist Church of Beaufort and attend the Koinonia Sunday School Class.  Mark enjoys golfing (Chairman of the Beaufort Charities Golf Tournament), traveling and working on home projects in his spare time. Terri enjoys time with her family, traveling, walking, and reading, and together they are members of the Beaufort Shag Club.  Terri graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Business Administration, Management, and is a member of the USC Alumni Organization.  We are members of the Gamecock Club and love football season.  However, we are now a "house divided" -   we have one son, Brandon, who is attending Clemson University and majoring in Civil Engineering.  As you can see, we support both great S.C. Universities!