Michigan store owners bury $1M in jewelry for treasure hunt

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Michigan jewelry store forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic is bidding a memorable farewell.

Johnny and Amy Perri, owners of J & M Jewelers in Washington Township, have buried roughly $1 million in jewelry — most of the store’s inventory — for a statewide treasure hunt, reported WXYZ.

The owners say they’ve buried the jewelry all over Michigan, from Detroit to the Upper Peninsula. The booty includes real engagement rings, precious coins, gold and silver.

“We had the time of our life burying everything. It was awesome, man,” Johnny Perri told WXYZ.

A $49 ticket pays for a chance to participate in the treasure hunt, called Johnny’s Adventure Quest. It starts Aug. 1.

Each treasure is valued at around $4000 and is fitted with a GPS tracker, the Perris said.

Once found, you can keep the treasure or sell it back to the owners.

Johnny Perri, who grew up in his dad’s jewelry store, said the treasure hunt is a fitting farewell to the family store.

“Memories. Life is made of memories and that was our slogan here all these years,” he said.

Some of the treasure is 150 years old – passed down from his dad.

“He would think I’m nuts,” Johnny Perri told WXYZ. “But he’d be all for it. He was a big giver.”