“More than $100,000 in merchandise stolen from Sevier jewelry stores”

More than $100,000 in merchandise stolen from Sevier jewelry stores

Posted: 03 Jan 2011 03:16 PM PST

Police in Sevier County are investigating two weekend jewelry store burglaries, one of which saw up to $100,000 in jewelry stolen.

The first happened at B&L Jewelry along Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville late Saturday night. Just a few minutes later, the American Jewelry Company in Pigeon Forge was broken into.

In each case, damage was done and merchandise was stolen.

B&L Jewelry has been in Sevier county for 20 years. Owner Lois Starkey said she's never experienced such a loss.

"You really just don't know what to say," she said.

Starkey got a call late Saturday, saying her front door was kicked in and tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry was missing.

"They had taken my ring mandrel and broken the glass out of my front case and raked the jewelry off in it," she said.

Starkey estimates up to $100,000 in merchandise is gone. That includes trays of sapphires, rubies, diamond bands, rings, along with some notable pieces.

"I had a big ballerina ring that had a carat and a half sapphire in the center, I would recognize them," she said.

Around the same time, the owners of American Jewelry Company in Pigeon Forge say someone threw a rock through one of their windows, smashed display cases, and stole a few items still inside.

Investigators in Sevierville are working with Pigeon Forge authorities to identify any similarities.

"Jewelry store burglary, for us, is not very common at all. We may have one or two a year," said Sevierville Public Information Officer Bob Stahlke.

Officers will be checking pawn shops to see if any jewelry matches descriptions of the missing pieces.

In the meantime, Starkey hopes the public can help.

"You just hope someone will come forward, and just kind of regroup and go on," she said.

Starkey is offering a $1,500 reward information that leads to an arrest. Information can be directed to the Sevierville Police Department at (865) 453-5506 or the store at (865) 429-0853.

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