true visionary; Gertrude's sense of style and grace has put her on the cutting edge of the Native American Jewelry industry. A native of Stuttgart, Germany, Gertrude arrived in Albuquerque in her early years as a housewife. Soon after her arrival in Albuquerque she saw the need for designing a contemporary line of Native American Jewelry. As the only female jewelry manufacturer in the 1970's she faced many challenges and much skepticism.
With no prior background in jewelry making or design, she drew upon her artistic abilities and developed a new style for Native American jewelry, one that incorporated more contemporary designs using gemstones with traditional stones.
At the Gertrude Zachary jewelry manufacturing facility in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, each piece of jewelry is created through a collaborative process between Gertrude and the Native American silversmiths who make each by hand. Gertrude begins with a drawing of her idea and then shows it to one of the silversmiths. It is then left in the skillful hands of master artisans, and the drawings, concepts, and images take shape. How does her design process work?
"I play with the stones. And they will tell you what they want to be, depending on their colors and shapes. They form themselves into the overall shape. There is nothing like sitting down with an entire tray of turquoise to completely capture the imagination."
Another cornerstone of the manufacturing process is the high-quality materials that are used. She often uses rare stones, like high-grade, natural North American turquoise and rare Mediterranean coral. The stones are extremely collectible and not always available, so many pieces are available only in limited quantities. A stone in a special shape or color might only be used to create one design. Usually she finds enough materials to make a dozen or so, while a hundred or more of a few very popular designs might be made.
In 1991 Gertrude opened her manufacturer's outlet store "Gertrude Zachary Jewelry, Etc." located near the historic Old Town District of Albuquerque and has enjoyed meeting people from coast-to-coast and worldwide. As well, local residents and tourist frequent the store, and then send their friends. They bring family and friends who are visiting from out of town. They may browse around other stores, but when they are ready to buy, they come back to Gertrude Zachary Jewelry, Etc. because they know they will get the best stones and highest quality craftsmanship at a fair price. In August of 2006, Gertrude opened another store in the Nob Hill area at 3300 Central SE, Albuquerque.
