About Us
Susan - Owner/President, BossLady, Chief Cook and Visionary
Owner Susan Shieldkret holds a Graduate Diploma in Pearls and a Certificate in Jewelry Essentials from the Gemological Institute of America, an M.A. from NYU in Media Ecology/Communication Theory, and a B.A. in Liberal Arts.
Susan created The Passionate Collector® in 2005 and sold jewelry to private clients and at fundraising boutiques. In mid-2007, she launched www.thepassionatecollector.com to offer online shoppers a selection of her favorite jewelry and accessories. Susan is adamant about bringing a great selection of products, wonderful design and reasonable prices to all her customers, both online and at the Balboa Island boutique.
Susan makes sure that all staff are well fed for maximum creativity, efficiency and to keep crankiness to a minimum. She is in charge of the theatre outings and saying yes to staff jewelry and accessory incentives.
Susan decided to start Guys' Guide to Jewelry after a dinner conversation with some of her neighbors confirmed just how much most men hate shopping for gifts. Whether clueless, insecure or disinterested, men struggle, she was told, with these purchases because they just don't know the right thing to buy. That was all Susan had to hear to confirm that this website was needed.
Her mantra for the guysguidetojewelry.com is to demystify the gift giving process for men and make it a positive experience for them. Susan is very proud to say that men represent an ever-growing customer base and that they find her staff to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful in the gift selection process. We get the biggest kick out of helping guys to be successful jewelry buyers!
At the end of January 2010, after a week's vacation on Maui, a well-rested and inspired Susan decided to open a bricks-and-mortar location in California if the right spot was found. Despite the recession (do you know how many people told us there was a recession on when we opened???), our amazing little Boutique debuted on March 24th. Thanks to an astounding staff who made it happen, we've been going strong ever since at 215 1/2 Marine Avenue, right in the heart of Balboa Island in Newport Beach (right-hand side, second block when you come over the bridge).
A native of New York, Susan has lived in California since the 1980s. Today she resides in Newport Beach with her husband and cat Mei Ling, who have been champions of the business since the beginning.
When she is not working (when exactly is that???), she enjoys traveling, time with her family, friends and staff, art collecting, reading, kickboxing, music, theater, and film.
Susan is proud that all her employees are visionaries in their own right and an extremely talented and gracious bunch. A huge thank-you as well to all our devoted clients!!
Jennifer - Sales Manager, Buyer, Merchandiser, Designer, Most Importantly Susan's Right Hand (Susan is left-handed)
Jennifer brings a strong jewelry background to The Passionate Collector®. She has a Cum Laude BA from the University of California, Irvine. Not only is she an avid jewelry collector (and one of our very best clients) but also the designer of the JennaViv collection. She has worked for major jewelers including Tiffany & Co. and Charriol. She currently lives in Orange County, with her domineering cat and her cuddly Tibetan mastiff. Almost everyday after work you can find her on the tennis courts hitting a mad backhand. On the weekends you can usually find her on top of a mountain pondering new jewelry designs. She spent over a month alone on the Appalachian Trail. She would have been a thru-hiker if it had not been for a little accident that happened on top of a mountain out there on the East Coast (long story.) She most recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. The rest of her time is spent reading, watching her favorite reality TV shows and playing with her dog. Along with all of this she loves dressing up and going to the opera, symphony and museums.
Jennifer's day to day focus is the integration of our very high-tech POS and internet systems, new merchandise is being ordered and inventoried and that there is no shortage of silly moments at The Passionate Collector®. (She won't stand for her co-workers to be serious for more then let's say 10 minutes max at one time.)
Jennifer would love to help you find that perfect gift for the woman in your life who is not only a tough, nerdy chick, but also a true girly girl. Please don't hesitate to email or call her with any questions. Cheers!!!
You can contact Jennifer at: jennifer@thepassionatecollector.com or 949-673-0440.
Courtney – Sales Associate, Handbag Guru and Customer Service Maven Extraordinaire
Courtney contributes four years of prior retail experience to The Passionate Collector®, and is the perfect addition to our staff. Not only does she have an amazing ability to interpret the signals between Susan and Jennifer (which are often only hand gestures), but she has learned to fill in the blanks in their conversations, and execute on those directives flawlessly. Customers love her sweet and endearing personality and top-notch service for which she is already legendary!
Courtney can explain the inner workings of every handbag we carry and is considered The Passionate Collector's handbag guru, as well as our resident make-up artist. She is a major music enthusiast and would not be able to function each day without her trusty iPod. During her free time she enjoys playing the guitar, going to the beach, watching a ridiculous amount of television, and dancing whenever she can. Do NOT challenge her to a game of "name that tune" unless you are very sure of your music and musicians.
Courtney, who holds a BA degree form UC Irvine, and has already been with us a year, is very enthusiastic about fashion and has amassed quite a collection of jewelry and accessories over the years. She currently lives in Rancho Palos Verdes with her family and two quirky cats.
Courtney is able to assist clients with the best customer service possible, and is responsible for store organization and display as well as shipping and receiving.
She is eager to help you find that ideal piece for yourself or a great gift for someone else and is always available to provide suggestions so please feel free to email any questions you might have!
You can contact Courtney at: courtney@thepassionatecollector.com or at 949-673-0440.
