Jeweler starts treasure hunt to bring joy during coronavirus pandemic

What is a jewelry store owner to do with his stock when he’s about to retire? He could have a going-out-of-business sale, or he could give some sparkly gifts to friends and family.

Johnny Perri, owner of J&M Jewelers, in Washington Township, Michigan, is doing neither of those things, WJBK reported.

Instead, Perri is going to give total strangers a chance to take part in a treasure hunt.

The idea came after he had to temporarily shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the time away from the jewelry counter made Perri realize that while he loved serving customers, he wasn’t really happy.

He was then inspired by the treasure hunt put on by Forrest Fenn. Fenn’s $1 million treasure chest was recently found. And Perri decided he wanted to do something similar, USA Today reported.

But instead of just one treasure chest, Perri and his wife Amy buried all the inventory he had throughout Michigan.

He estimated the value of all of the jewelry was about $1 million.

Perri told WJBK that the couple had kayaked through the wilderness to make the treasure drops, each marked with a red “X,” to mark the spots that are all special locations to the couple.

Locations stretch from metro Detroit to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, WXYZ reported.

But the treasure hunt isn’t free for those who want to participate.

Perri is selling tickets that will then net the hunters a set of clues on a specific date with the first one starting Aug. 1.

When a treasure is found, a GPS tracker will alert Perri. The lucky winner can either keep it or sell it back, WXYZ reported.

“Giving people adventure is giving them something to believe in again,” Perri told WJBK.

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Cox Media Group