Like untangling multiple knots from a necklace, finding the owners of Camelot Jewelers’ collection of jewelry, watches and heirlooms is going to take some time and patience.
The now-shuttered store’s owner Mike Pearce last Friday turned over several boxes of inventory to Jewelry Artisans’ proprietor Jamie Kresl, who has been working to find the owners of the property. Many of the pieces were missing identifying tags or labeled incorrectly, Kresl said.
“It’s going to be a process,” Kresl said. “We’ve had our staff working all weekend to match tickets with items, and we feel hopeful that we have the majority of the items that were left with Camelot.”
Camelot’s abrupt closing on June 16 created a firestorm of finger-pointing and threats as former customers scrambled to find the items they had entrusted the establishment to repair or repurpose.
The business, which had been in operation for 46 years and had a devoted following, posted a sign on the door informing customers of its closing and referred its customers to Jewelry Artisans for future purchases and repairs.
Several customers had left notes on the front of the now-shuttered establishment trying to find their jewelry, and dozens of social media posts excoriated Pearce for his lack of transparency about the store’s demise.
Kresl called on Camelot customers to show some compassion for the former owners, whom he said have been suffering after the death of their founder, Helen Sher, in 2020.
“This is a very hard time for the family, dealing with her death and the end of their business,” he said. “I loved Helen and I love the family, and that is why I wanted to help.”
Kresl, who had some business ties with Camelot, said he noticed that the business was struggling last October.
“I saw that the store had very little inventory, and I said, ‘Mike, we need to get some things in here for Christmas,’ and I helped him stock up,” Kresl said. “For a while, I think it helped give him some hope and instilled some confidence with Camelot’s customers, but then it just kind of slipped back again.”
Kresl said he continued to try to instill a return to a culture of “organization and customer service” that had been missing since Sher’s death, and even had informal discussions about buying the business from Pearce. But those talks failed after the two parties couldn’t agree on a purchase price.
After hearing of Camelot’s closure, Kresl again reached out to assist.
“I got a call from one of Camelot’s clients and then another saying that they had been calling Mike and were unable to get answers about jewelry they had left with them for repair, so I told Mike to ‘bring everything to me and we will take care of it.’”
Some former Camelot customers have already retrieved their items, including Tracy Notte, who had left a gold chain at the store on June 9 and was promised it would be ready for pick up around the time the store shut its doors.
“They (Jewelry Artisans) found my chain,” she reported on the NextDoor app. “It was not repaired, but it was in their possession. I hope everyone who left jewelry or watches with Camelot has the same outcome.”
Kresl said while a few people have been critical of his efforts to help Pearce and his family, most have been supportive and grateful.
“The flood of support has been really awesome, and I appreciate everyone who called or posted words of encouragement for Jewelry Artisans,” he said.
Kresl is encouraging former Camelot customers seeking to find their jewelry to call his store at 770-393-0321 and make an appointment. The store is located at 4500 Olde Perimeter Way.
Rough Draft reached out to Pearce for comment but was unable to leave a message as his mailbox was full. The business’s phone number has been disconnected.