Welcome to Solid Gold Jewelers
124 North Street, downtown Normal
Phone: (309) 452-1612 • Fax: (309) 452-0612
Hours: Mon. 9:00 - 6:00, Tues. - Fri. 9:00 - 5:00, Sat. 9:00 - 3:00


Russ Peterson and Gerry Taylor started Solid Gold Jewelers in April 1978.

Russ, a native of Little York, IL, a farming community outside Galesburg, was encouraged to become a jeweler from a watchmaker who lived across the street from his aunt and uncle.

"He saw the work I could do with leathercraft, and suggested I consider becoming a jeweler. I was looking for a part time job while going to Carl Sandburg Junior college in Galesburg, so I started working with him." He was formally trained at Gem City College in Quincy, IL. Then later on while attending ISU, Russ started doing jewelry repair to earn money - and 32 years later, he's still doing it in downtown Normal.

Gerry, a Twin City native who got started 30 years ago at a local jewelry store, is one of only a few in Bloomington-Normal who are certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to grade and appraise diamonds. Also a bench jeweler, trained at GIA in Chicago, Gerry spends most of his time doing the appraisals and purchasing for Solid Gold.

"When we were getting started and had no customers of our own, we did the repair work for a dozen other stores within a 50 mile radius of Bloomington-Normal," Russ explains. "Over the years, as our retail business grew we reduced the outside work. Today, we only do service and repair work for our own customers."

The secret to their success?

At Solid Gold, the key people are the top people. "Russ and I do the actual appraisals, wait on the customers and perform the repairs ourselves, along with a talented staff of others who are just as good as we are," says Gerry. "We just believe that in order to keep our quality high, we have to set the standard, staying close to our customers and the work we do for them."