Marissa Collections Opens in Nantucket as Legal Fight Continues

Nantucket, Mass.—Marissa Collections is set to open its new store on Nantucket as it continues its legal battle with fellow jewelry retailer The Vault.

Katherine Jetter, a jewelry designer and owner of The Vault in Nantucket, Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit against Boutique Tere Inc., d/b/a Marissa Collections, and its owners—Jay, Marissa, and Burt Hartington—on May 19. It was first filed in a Nantucket court and later moved to a Massachusetts District Court. 

The lawsuit accuses Marissa Collections of violating a non-compete agreement and using confidential information Jetter provided for a potential partnership between the two businesses to move into the Nantucket market.

Marissa Collections, meanwhile, claims in court documents that Jetter did not provide any information that isn’t publicly available and points out that its Nantucket store, which is slated to open this week, isn’t even selling jewelry—it’s just selling clothing and accessories.  

According to the lawsuit, in 2023, the Hartingtons and Jetter were discussing a potential partnership or the sale of The Vault to Marissa Collections as the Florida-based retailer looked to expand into Nantucket, a seasonal destination off the coast of Massachusetts.

The two have a decade-long relationship, as Marissa Collections carried jewelry designed by Jetter, who wholesales her creations as well as selling them at her own store, at its Florida locations.

According to the lawsuit, Jetter agreed to share her expertise, including “detailed sales data and forecasts, profit margin models and strategies, employee compensation details, seasonal revenue patterns, and various market analyses.” 

However, because Jetter was sharing sensitive business information and trade secrets, she asked Marissa Collections to sign two contracts that contained confidentiality provisions and a “narrowly tailored” non-compete agreement. 

Marissa Collections CEO and part-owner Jay Hartington signed the contracts in April 2023 and October 2024, agreeing to not open a store within a 50-mile radius of The Vault and to maintain confidentiality regarding the information Jetter shared, as per court documents.

The partnership did not come to fruition, and court documents state that just months after signing the second agreement, Jay Hartington was in negotiations with two real estate brokerages in Nantucket looking to secure a lease for a new Marissa Collections store.

Jetter’s suit alleges that the defendants never had any intention of partnering with or acquiring The Vault or honoring the agreements that were signed; instead, they used the information Jetter provided as a “roadmap to open a competing store right in The Vault’s backyard.” 

It states, “Marissa Collections and its founders and CEO were secretly scheming to establish their own competing store on Nantucket, now armed with The Vault’s and Ms. Jetter’s business information, providing a head start and unfair competitive advantage for their venture in a geographic area that was otherwise unfamiliar terrain to the Florida natives.”

Marissa Collections responded to Jetter’s allegations in a series of court documents it filed.

Marissa Collections, which said it has had clients on Nantucket since 2013, held a pop-up at the Westmoor Club on Nantucket in the summer of 2022. It was a success, resulting in sales of more than $50,000 in about three hours, said the retailer.

Because the pop-up went well, it began exploring the idea of opening a store in the area and, in August 2022, a colleague connected Jay Hartington with a real estate agent to begin looking at properties.

In 2023, the retailer said Jetter approached them about a potential sale or partnership. After signing the agreements, they began to receive information about Jetter’s business.

Though the agreements contained a 50-mile non-compete clause, Jay Hartington said he “assumed it was a standard NDA” and signed both without consulting with counsel, due in part to his longstanding personal and professional relationship with Jetter and her “nonchalant” description of the documents, court papers state.

Marissa Collections claims in its filings that the potential sale fell through due to concerns about the validity of the business information provided by Jetter, noting it was “not audited or otherwise verified.”

It also states in court documents that Jetter “did not provide any proprietary or unique information” about operating on Nantucket that is not “widely available, as she does not have any such information that is unique to her business.”

Instead of pursuing a deal with Jetter, Marissa Collections opted to open its own store in Nantucket, which will focus on clothing. 

The retailer stated in court documents, “At this time, MC [Nantucket] intends only to sell apparel—and no jewelry—which was confirmed in a recent press release and social media post.”

It added that The Vault, which also sells clothing, “does not appear” to carry any of the fashion designers that Marissa Collections’ Nantucket will stock.  

Court documents show that Jetter filed for a preliminary injunction that would have prevented the store from opening, but a judge denied that request on June 21, stating that Jetter and The Vault, “have not demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm absent an injunction.”

Hartington told National Jeweler via email that the store will have a soft opening Wednesday, with an official opening slated for Friday.

“We sincerely wish The Vault the best and look forward to putting this matter behind us,” he said.

“Marissa Collections is now just focused on a successful summer season and being a community partner in Nantucket.”

In addition to the alleged violation of the non-compete agreement, Jetter claims Marissa Collections is withholding payments for the Katherine Jetter jewelry it has sold and retaining inventory that was given on consignment. 

She alleges in the suit that Marissa Collections is holding onto $250,000 worth of jewelry (retail value) and is refusing to market, sell, or return it to her.

Marissa Collections denied this claim and said in court documents that it offered to return the jewelry in exchange for a return of what it said Jetter owes. 

The retailer said that when Jetter became a vendor in 2014, she originally provided the inventory on consignment. 

Later, the business relationship transitioned, and the retailer provided Jetter with $40,000 up front, which was then to be repaid through sales of Katherine Jetter jewelry.

Marissa Collections said in court documents that it would return her jewelry in exchange for the return of the $40,000, payment of dues owed, and a reimbursement of marketing expenses after it says Jetter cancelled a trunk show in Naples, Florida.

Jetter rejected this offer. Jetter said she offered to return the deposit within seven days of receiving her jewelry. 

The matter has not yet been resolved. 

Jetter also filed for a temporary restraining order against the Hartingtons, which was not granted.

The lawsuit lists 10 counts, including breach of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices, misappropriation of trade secrets, and unjust enrichment.

Jetter’s requested relief includes an injunction prohibiting Marissa Collections from breaching the agreement and continuing to retain her inventory, as well as costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees.

“Building The Vault Nantucket and my own Katherine Jetter collection has been my life’s work, and it was not built alone, but with the support of a strong community of fellow designers, my amazing team, my Nantucket business community, and my incredible retail partners and clients,” Jetter said.
 
“The Vault will continue to operate as we always have: with the unwavering integrity that defines our brand and with a culture of respect for our team, clients, and community.”