Michigan jewelry store's inventory buried for statewide 'treasure hunt'

July 16 (UPI) -- The owner of a Michigan jewelry store that was shuttered when COVID-19 caused business to plummet found a novel way to get rid of his remaining inventory: a statewide treasure hunt.

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.

Participants will receive clues toward the locations of treasure stashes -- featuring jewelry and other items made from gold, silver and other valuable materials -- in various areas of the state.

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.