Family-owned Dunwoody jewelry store closes, customers scramble to recover their items

DUNWOODY, Ga. - Customers are left scrambling after a local mom-and-pop jewelry shop closed unexpectedly. A number of clients brought in things like watches and necklaces for repair at Camelot Jewelers on Mt. Vernon Road in Dunwoody earlier this month and didn’t know how they’d get their stuff back. 

Tracy Notte says had been a loyal customer of the family-owned business since 2019.

"I had a chain that was broken," Notte said. She stopped in on June 9 when the clasp on her chain snapped. "The gentleman behind the counter said it would be a week to 10 days."

Notte dropped by 11 days later to find a note on the door. "The store was closed," Notte said. She had no idea where her chain was. "Panic, that my jewelry would never be returned."

Notte says she called and texted a number for the owner Mike Pearce. "He never responded," she said.

She stopped by the store again and saw another note on the ground nearby, "saying that customers left jewelry could be retrieved from Artisan Jewelers." 

Jamie Kresl, a friend of the family that owned Camelot, owns Jewelry Artisans a few miles away. "They just fell on hard times and they had good intentions," Kresl said. 

Kresl says Camelot transferred boxes of clients’ items to his store. Camleot’s confused and annoyed customers soon followed. "I empathize," Kresl said. "They said 'hey Jamie. They have my things. I haven’t been able to get in touch with them. And no one has called me back. Can you help me?’" 

Kresl found Notte’s chain. And he’s trying to help Camelot’s other customers. "We’re taking care of it. We will get it right," Kresl said. 

"I was very relieved," Notte said, thanking Kresl. "The whole thing could’ve been avoided." 

FOX 5 called Camelot Jewelers. They have not responded. 

Kresl says he’s working to get customers’ items back to their rightful owners. They should call him to retrieve their items.