Touch of Silver Gold & Old
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~story and photos by Paige Langenderfer
early 50 years ago, Carol and Al Drake left Florida for Nashville in their rusted out car with a dream of making and selling quality, custom jewelry. “We didn’t have much,” Carol said. “Maybe $200 and a dog with a broken leg.” Forty-six years later, the Drake’s store Touch of Silver, Gold & Old is a staple in the community. The store’s combination of unique and custom jewelry and excellent customer service sets it apart in today’s sea of jewelry stores offering mass produced, unoriginal items. While Al and Carol have loved the journey, they said it has not always been easy. The business was imagined when the two were at a flea market in Florida. “We saw this jewelry made out of spoons and thought, ‘We can do better than that,’” Al said. “It was all trial and error at first.” Shortly after starting the business, they moved to Bloomington so Carol could finish her degree. They quickly noticed the tremendous
26 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2019
