- May 26, 2026
The Pocket Jeweler in Ormond Beach is under new ownership.
Locals Scott and Shannon McLeish opened their jewelry store in 2013, and after a 13-year run, decided it was time to retire this year. But they didn't want to see their business leave the downtown.
"A downtown needs a jewelry store," Shannon said. "You have to have it."
So for the local family, finding the right person to take over after their retirement was important.
They found that person in Abiud Rivera, a local master bench jeweler with about 45 years of industry experience, 30 of which have been in Volusia County.
Shannon had just advertised on Facebook in March that they were interested in selling The Pocket Jeweler when she got a call from her husband. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple has split their time between Ormond Beach and Maine, and McLeish was up north at the time.
Scott asked her if she remembered the jeweler who worked at the window at Jessup's on Beach Street.
"Back even before we opened, he was talking about Abiud in the window," Shannon recalled. "He was like, 'That's what I want. ... I want to do that.'"
The Pocket Jeweler specialized in retail, including estate pieces. Before opening their own store, the McLeishes used to sell jewelry wholesale.
That's how their store's name came to be, Shannon said. Scott had gone into a store in South Florida to sell a diamond, and the jeweler said, "Oh, you're a pocket jeweler."
"Meaning, he was operating out of his pocket," Shannon said.
Selling The Pocket Jeweler to Rivera brings a new service to the store: custom work.
The jewelry industry runs in Rivera's family. His father was a jeweler in New York City, and after his death, his uncle took him in as an apprentice in his jewelry store.
Rivera has worked for several jewelers in Volusia County, but he'd always wanted his own business.
For 13 years, Rivera said he'd drive by The Pocket Jeweler in Ormond Beach and say how much he loved the store.
"I love that name because it resonates with me, also," Rivera said. "Pocket Jeweler — because many times I used to sell from my pocket."
Scott and Shannon had interested buyers from all over the country — as far as Denver, Colorado. People flew down to see the store with a couple days' notice because owning a jewelry store in a downtown district is a unique opportunity, Shannon said.
However, the McLeishes wanted their buyer to carry on the same sense of community they held during their years in business. Shannon served on the Ormond MainStreet board and was part of Citizens for Ormond Beach. The Pocket Jeweler was a regular participant in events in the downtown, like Christmas in July.
"That's why Scott was so happy that Abiud was interested, as he's got long-term roots here in Volusia County, and in the jewelry industry in Volusia County," Shannon said. "They're family-oriented and community-oriented, and that's really what we wanted to see."
Rivera, of Port Orange, will operate the store with his wife Aileen and their daughter Alianys. Their mission is to continue what Scott and Shannon built while adding expertise in creating custom jewelry pieces.
"I love the bench," Rivera said. "I know I'm going to die at the bench. I love detail. I love making people happy. I love bringing vision to life."
