EDMONTON -- At least eight customers of an Edmonton jewelry store and repair shop are without their jewelry — some worth thousands of dollars — after the store closed.

Linda Rodd-Kitchen dropped off her $2,500 ring at Heart to Heart Jewellery on 118 Avenue in late October for repairs. She had been doing business with David Dorash, who had made her precious ring, for two decades.

"It was little pieces of gold from my grandmother's ring, my mother's ring, that was melted down," Rodd-Kitchen said.

Dorash had been in and out of hospital recently. When Rodd-Kitchen called to arrange to pick her ring up at his shop, an unfamiliar woman answered.

"And said Dave had passed away. And they were going to have to break into the safe," Rodd-Kitchen said.

She called again the next day.

"And I said I was wondering whether I could come and pick up my ring and he goes, 'Well do you have a slip?’ And I go, 'No we never had a slip with Dave.'" Instead, customers said Dorash would place the jewelry in a small brown envelope and write customer's name and number on it.

"We never questioned it," Rodd Kitchen said. "I had never had a problem. Ever."

Hours later, Rodd-Kitchen discovered the shop was empty with a note directing customers to contact the jeweller’s family.

Edmonton Police Service spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said 15 people reported missing jewelry. EPS investigated but no charges were laid.

"I believe police returned jewellery [sic] to three complainants and family also made effort to return jewellery to complainants as well," Voordenhout said. "Unfortunately the record keeping on the part of the store wasn’t there. So it’s very difficult for investigators to know what was in the store at any given time."

CTV News Edmonton has spoken with seven additional customers who say they haven't been able to recover their jewelry either. Christina Miketic-Ketsa said she is now without a $500-necklace and her wedding ring, appraised at $8,500, but managed to recover $4,000 through insurance.

CTV News also reached out to Dorash’s brother, Ernie, who said via text, "Not one piece was taken by any family member.

"When the safe was opened it was empty," Dorash added.

Customers are still puzzled to what happened. Police said a break-in and robbery was reported at Heart to Heart Jewellery on Aug. 7 for a robbery on July 30. No arrests were made and some jewellery was reportedly stolen. CTV News has also learned Dorash was diagnosed with dementia.

"It's out there somewhere," Rodd-Kitchen said. "Somebody's got it."

Rodd-Kitchen is now considering legal action against Dorash’s estate.