West Coast jeweler jailed after conning clients out of millions
A Southern California jeweler who used intimate personal details about his clients to defraud them of more than $1.7 million was sentenced Monday to five years in state prison.
Nelson Holdo, 66, pleaded guilty last week to three felony counts of stealing from clients after taking payments for Rolexes, diamonds, and other high-end jewelry that were never delivered, or taking client valuables to resell without paying them.
As part of a plea deal, about three dozen additional counts were dismissed.
Victims described how Holdo weaponized personal details — remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and family milestones — to build trust before exploiting them.
“He cultivated relationships to make us think we were his friends. He violated our sense of safety and order,” victim Loretta Savery told the Santa Ana courtroom, recounting how she lost $5,000 on earrings that never arrived.
Since the 2000s, Holdo has racked up a long history of complaints. Back then, he operated a jewelry store in San Marino — Asanti — before filing for bankruptcy in 2010. He then took over his wife’s business — Mimi et Cie, LLC — before forming LA Gems Private Jewelers in 2023 and a new business called Brivetti in Corona del Mar in 2024. The Mimi et Cie store closed in late 2024.
Holdo declined to make a statement at his sentencing. He was ordered to pay back more than $1.7 million in restitution, which includes funds tied to the dismissed charges.
