James Kersey Jr.; Jewelry Salesman Bedecked Stars

James Kersey Jr., 47, a Beverly Hills jewelry salesman who draped millions of dollars worth of baubles on stars and socialites, died May 3 of a heart attack.

For the last seven years, Kersey worked at Harry Winston on Rodeo Drive, helping to keep the jewelry house in the spotlight by selling and lending gems to Hollywood awards show presenters and nominees. He dazzled customers with his personal touch and encouraged anyone who came into the store--whether they were serious buyers or just curious passersby--to try on million-dollar treasures.

“He had incredible sensitivity to people and treated them with great deference, as human beings first and clients second,” said Ronald Winston, chairman and managing director of Harry Winston.

One highlight of Kersey’s career was escorting the statue from the 1941 film “The Maltese Falcon” to San Francisco in 1995. Harry Winston had paid $380,000 at auction for the bird, and Kersey was asked to accompany the investment to the annual Maltese Falcon charity ball.

“It’s glamorous,” he told The Times last March, “but it’s just a job. At night, I go home and eat frozen pizza just like everyone else.”

Kersey was born in Richmond, Va. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in art history, he moved to New York City to work as a sportswear buyer for Brooks Brothers, then in the jewelry department at Sotheby’s, and later as a salesman for Italian jeweler Buccellati. He managed the Miriam Walmsley Gallery in New Orleans from 1988 to 1992, before moving to Los Angeles.

Donations in his name may be made to the American Heart Fund.