Michigan jeweler buries store’s inventory for state wide ‘treasure hunt’

A Michigan jeweler going out of business after a months-long coronavirus closure says he has buried about $1 million worth of valuables like gold, diamonds and more throughout the state for a massive treasure hunt, in a move to get rid of his remaining inventory.

Johnny Perri said J&M Jewelers in Washington Township, a store founded by his late father decades ago, was forced to close permanently when the coronavirus pandemic led to a lockdown that put an insurmountable economic strain on the shop.

Perri said he and his wife, Amy, came up with an unusual way to get rid of their remaining inventory: burying items across the state of Michigan for a massive treasure hunt.

Perri said interested treasure hunters can register for $49 to participate in Johnny’s Adventure Quest, which begins Aug. 1.

People who dig up the buried treasure, which Perri said he is tracking with GPS devices, can either keep the items they find or return them to Perri in exchange for their cash value.