John W. Skillin did what most people dream of; he took his hobby of watch and clock repair and turned it into a business. He was entirely self taught through books and began by inspecting pocket watches for the local railroad. In 1921 John opened his own business repairing watches and clocks and selling diamonds.

John's son Harold grew up in the business and purchased it from his father in the 1950's.

He continued to offer repairs and expanded the jewelry lines. Hal joined the business when he graduated from Ithaca College in 1970.

When Hal's dad wanted to retire in 1974 Hal purchased the business. In 1977 Hal moved the business to its current location on Broad St. in Norwich.

Hal has continued to search for jewelry lines that are expressive, beautiful and of the best quality. Skillin's Jewelers is the oldest jewelry store in the area and the business continues to be a part of many community and national organizations such as Commerce Chenango, Independent Jewelers Organization, and Jewelers of America. Hal continues to be involved in the community and has been a member of the Rotary Club since 1978, a member of the board of the Business Improvement District since 1990, and past president of the Merchants Association.

Skillin's Jewelers was the proud recipient of the Chenango Country Chamber of Commerce's 2006 Small Business of the year award.

Appraisals: We are happy to provide you with a free insurance appraisal on your purchase. Appraisals are performed by our Gemologist trained by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Engraving: We offer engraving services on a variety of items. Depending on the piece this can be done by machine or by hand.

Wish Lists: We maintain wish lists for any customer who'd like to register special gifts. This can let friends or family know what you've been hoping for or you can just keep track for yourself.

Financing: Financing is available for qualified customers.

Sell Your Jewelry:

Selling your scrap gold: Scrap gold can be old gold jewelry, gold nuggets, dental fillings, and other broken bits of gold. To sell your scrap gold each piece will be priced according to the karat of the piece. The karat or purity of the gold is measured as 10K, 14K, 18K, or pure gold which is 24K.

Our gold experts can also determine if an item is silver or plated, which may be a surprise to you. Then the gold is weighed and the price is determined by the weight times the prevailing price for the day. This simple process is performed in just a few minutes.

Selling Estate Jewelry: Selling your personal jewelry can be an intimidating procedure. It takes a jeweler with experience and expertise to determine a fair market price for your jewelry. At Skillin's our jeweler has the knowledge, experience, and patience to help you through the selling process.