Jewelry assistant rings up 30 years

As the Newport Beach jewelry gallery Stuart Moore celebrates its 30-year anniversary, the company is also bidding a happy retirement to an employee who was there from the beginning.

For 30 years, Shirley Thorpe has been selling jewelry at the store in Fashion Island. Old customers visit often, just to say hello or show off their newest edition to the family.

“It’s been super, we’ll really miss her,” said store founder Stuart Moore.

Inside the store Saturday, employees and managers celebrated Thorpe’s retirement with an open house and a little champagne.

“She’s finally insisting on going to play golf,” Moore said.

Thorpe found her way into the jewelry business when she walked past the Newport Beach store ? still under construction ? in the 1970s and inquired about a job.

Thorpe said she was attracted by the simplistic, timeless design of the jewelry.

“It was just different than anything that I’ve ever seen,” Thorpe said.

The relaxed atmosphere and “compatible” employees are what made her stick around, she said.

“We get to know our customers, it’s kind of a family thing,” Thorpe said.

Since then, Thorpe has been what Moore calls a “director emeritus” ? she takes aspiring store managers under her wing and teaches them the business.

“She does sort of a mom thing,” Moore said.

Thorpe helped open the Fashion Island store and held down the fort while Moore left to open stores in New York and San Francisco.

“I’m not here very much,” said Moore, who lives part-time in England. “So when I want to know what’s going on, I call mom.”

The company is small and employees are like family, Moore said.

Stuart Moore’s son, Andrew Moore, the managing director of the company, said he’s known Thorpe since he was six years old.

“She’s still around ? but it’s kind of a lot like losing your mother,” Andrew Moore said.

In addition to Thorpe’s retirement, the weekend open house was also held to introduce some of Thorpe’s longtime customers to the new store director, Geri LaPorte.

LaPorte said she realizes that she may have some big shoes to fill; she plans on seeking advice from “the masters”, Thorpe and Andrew Moore.

As for Thorpe, she said she’s ready for retirement; her plans include golfing and travel.