At Crucian Gold, Cautious Optimism And Some Frustration

Crucian Gold in downtown Christiansted has been known for its specialty jewelry, exceptional customer service and Crucian pride. After all, the company has been in business for over 30 years and is controlled by second generation Crucians. But on the morning of August 10th, three armed men descended on the store and proceeded to traumatize its employees, stealing cash and jewelry and leaving behind broken hearts, anger and confusion.

Earlier today The Virgin Islands Consortium visited the store to followup with the owners and see how they were holding up after the robbery, and although we got the sense that there was an immovable resolve to keep pressing forward, the frustration in Nathan Bishop’s voice, co-owner of Crucian Gold along with his wife Theresa Bishop, was tangible.

“The community has been very responsive and supportive,” Bishop said when asked about the flow of business after the incident. “It’s been challenging to not allow the situation to get us down, but we’re trying to keep our heads up and move forward.”

Crucian Gold, 1112 Strand Street, Christiansted St. Croix, 00820

One of the concerns Bishop voiced after the robbery was the lack of police patrol in the area, so I asked whether the situation had changed, and if more could be done to improve security.

“I think it’s a problem for St. Croix in general and any majorly populated area to have a heavier police presence, [however] we’ve seen more police patrol.”

Curious about Bishop’s mood towards businesses opening on St. Croix, I questioned if he would discourage colleagues from starting ventures on the Island, however his response was the total opposite of what I thought, as he said that what St. Croix needs now is more businesses.

“The problem is we need more businesses to open up, we need more businesses in town — and anywhere, we just need more local business,” Bishop said. “I think we need to work with landlords and government officials to try and brighten up the Island and encourage people to start businesses.

“We need to make it easier for people to open up and get a business licence, make these things simple and easier, making it more business friendly for our local businesses because we live here, you have ownership over it and that’s very important.”

Bishop added that while “the EDC companies are great for taxes,” it’s the “mom and pop businesses that keep the economy ticking.”

The August 10th incident was the most serious Crucian Gold has ever had, and the first armed robbery it has experienced.

“We’re moving forward, just trying to pick up the pieces,” he said.

Crucian Gold started with a few hand-made jewelry in this box by Brian Bishop, founder of the company

Nathan Bishop’s father, Brian Bishop, started Crucian Gold many years ago, and the box to the right side of your screen in Nathan Bishop’s hands was “his shop.” Bishop Sr. worked as a diver for many years and would sell jewelry on the weekend until the business took off.

Bishop believes that there should always be at least one police car patrolling business areas and places known to have violence.

“If they know that there’s going to be a police patrolling the area, they might think twice,” he said. “And we also have to get guns off the streets.”

Bishop added: “We have a lot of work to do in our communities, getting people to have better ethics and what not, but we got a lot of work to do.”

A day after the incident The Virgin Islands Consortium contacted the police to inquire about a certain narrative that was making the rounds on the streets claiming that the VIPD took over an hour to respond to the crime scene, however we were immediately told by a policewoman who answered the phone that it was “impossible” that the police would take so long to respond.

Bishop did not comment on how long it took the VIPD to arrive at the scene, however he said that the police response has been “frustrating”, and he did not feel like “there was a really good followup.”

“They will tell you that, ‘we have to keep things under wraps until we finish the investigation’, but I haven’t received the footage from my cameras, and I’m waiting, yet nothing really tangible. And again I don’t know how much of that is because they need to keep things under wraps while they investigate,” he said.

Crucian Gold opens Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Find them on Facebook or at CrucianGold.com.