WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, MI – A Michigan jeweler has cleaned out his store in the name of adventure.
Johnny Perri, owner of J&M Jewelers in Macomb County, and his wife Amy Perri buried $1 million in gold, silver, jewels and antiques across Michigan – from Metro Detroit to the Upper Peninsula. Starting Aug. 1, the treasure will be up for grabs to registered Treasure Quest hunters.
After 23 years, J&M Jewelers is closing following a months-long forced temporary closure related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The monthly Treasure Quests will provide a new source of income for the Perri family - registration for each hunt is $50.
Johnny Perri could have sold the contents of his shop and retired, instead, he put his “entire life investment into the ground with an ideal hope and dream to give all fun, adventure, bonding with each other, and the memories that will last a lifetime,” he said on theTreasure Quest website.
After going “stir crazy” while stuck at home amid the pandemic, Johnny Perri and his then-fiancé began outdoor adventuring. Those adventures led him to realize he wasn’t truly happy in his business, and to the idea of turning his inventory into a treasure hunt.
“I had the time of my life hiding the treasure, but [I’m] even more excited about hearing the stories of those who are about to venture out to seek it,” Johnny Perri said on the website.
The first quest begins at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1 in Oakland County. The prize is two 100-ounce bars of .999 pure silver, which is worth about $4,200. The winner will have to option to keep the bars or to sell them back to Johnny Perri.
Go tojohnnystreasurequest.comto register for a hunt; only registered hunters will have access to clues, maps, puzzles and riddles.