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From left, Paul Coca Jr., Michelle Coca, Paul “Paully” Coca, Noreen Coca and Paul Coca Sr. are photographed at the Angels Camp Firefall Jewelers location in 2018. Paul Sr. and Noreen Coca will be retiring soon.
Paul Coca Sr. and son are known throughout the Mother Lode for their custom designs. Paul Coca Jr. will continue the jewelry business under a new name, Paul James Jewelers.
Downtown Angels Camp has seen many businesses come and go over the years, but one that has remained constant for almost 20 years is Firefall Jewelers. And after two decades of crafting elegant handmade jewelry at both their Angels Camp and Valley Springs location, owners Paul and Noreen Coca have announced their retirement.
From left, Paul Coca Jr., Michelle Coca, Paul “Paully” Coca, Noreen Coca and Paul Coca Sr. are photographed at the Angels Camp Firefall Jewelers location in 2018. Paul Sr. and Noreen Coca will be retiring soon.
Dakota Morlan/Calaveras Enterprise
Paul, Noreen, and their son Paul Jr. sat down with the Enterprise at their Angels Camp store to share some of the highs and lows of being longtime business owners, as well as some exciting plans for the future. The Enterprisepreviously profiled Firefallback in 2018.
When Paul said that when they first opened in downtown Angels Camp, “I was wondering if this [the business] was going to fly. Then two little girls came banging on the door and we let them in. They said, ‘My daddy is here, my daddy is here! He wants to buy me some diamond earrings!’” Paul said he was so excited and that when the father came in, he explained that his grandfather found the famous gold nugget that is on display at Ironstone Vineyards.
After the business grew in Angels Camp, they opened their Valley Springs location and eventually a location in Copperopolis. While the Valley Springs location is still in business, the Copperopolis location was closed down due to multiple problems including a dangerous robbery incident.
They eventually moved to their current location in the old Bank of America building in downtown Angels Camp.
Paul Coca Sr. and son are known throughout the Mother Lode for their custom designs. Paul Coca Jr. will continue the jewelry business under a new name, Paul James Jewelers.
Dakota Morlan/Calaveras Enterprise
“We’ve always loved this building,” said Noreen. “We always dreamed of purchasing the building, but it was a lot of money, and we’re a family-owned business.”
Noreen explained that they were hit especially hard when the 2008 financial crisis happened.
“People weren’t even coming in for watch batteries,” said Noreen.
Despite the lack of business taking a toll on their credit, the price of the Bank of America building dropped when it was up for sale. The building owner at the time approached Paul and Noreen and offered to sell them the building despite there being a cash offer from another potential buyer.
“We sold everything under the sun to come up with the down payment,” said Paul.
When asked why they think Firefall has endured in downtown Angels Camp while other businesses have come and gone, they credited the relationships they have built within the community.
Paul “Paully” Coca works alongside his grandfather, Paul Coca Sr., in the workshop beneath Firefall Jewelers in Angels Camp in 2018.
Dakota Morlan/Calaveras Enterprise
The community is one of the big reasons why Paul Jr. is planning on carrying on the family legacy by opening his own jewelry store in the downtown Angels Camp location. The Valley Springs location will be closed down permanently.
“I could easily go anywhere and start a business. I could go to Carmel and start a store and have a little more overhead. I'm sure it would do fine. But I love Angels Camp enough to just establish another root system, like Firefall did, with my children as owners as well,” said Paul Jr.
Paul Jr. plans on opening his own store at the Firefall location called Paul James Jewelers on Feb. 11.
“We're opening something that is really tailored to the consumer, to the person. I think people are going to come in and find things that they really, really love. So I'm really excited about the future, especially with Angels Camp, because I love Angels. I see a bright future for this downtown.”
Paully still working away in the basement workshop in 2022.
Danny Benson/Calaveras Enterprise
Both Paul and Noreen wanted to emphasize that this is a happy ending for them because they are retiring.
“We could have retired back 20 years ago. We did this as a way to develop something along with my son so that he could have a career and my grandkids could have a career,” explained Paul.
“It's just time for us. I'm tired, to be honest. I just have worked and worked, sometimes six days a week. But we have a lot of other ventures that we want to go into—musical stuff [both Paul and Noreen are musicians], traveling, and a variety of things.”
Paul said this is not the end of him making jewelry, however, as he plans to still help Paul Jr. with custom jewelry from time to time. Noreen said that they will still continue to sponsor their annual Thanksgiving meal that is currently held at the Valley Springs location as well as other philanthropic activities.
Not much has changed around Firefall’s busy underground workshop as Paul Jr. gives the Enterprise a tour in 2022.
Danny Benson/Calaveras Enterprise
Paul Jr. said that he plans on launching the new store with a line he created that will be dedicated to his best friend who passed away due to suicide.
“We're going to give money right back to this county for mental health awareness and suicide prevention,” he said.
Danny is a writer and a Calaveras County native. He studied creative writing and marketing at San Francisco State University and has previously done work as an automotive journalist. He is happy to be back and writing about the local community.
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