Gertrude Zachary was a true visionary. It was her amazing sense of grace and her style that put her on the map in the Native American Jewelry industry.
Born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany, she moved to Albuquerque in her early 20s. Soon after she arrived in New Mexico, she saw something missing from the Native American jewelry on the market – contemporary lines.
With no background in jewelry design or manufacturing, she drew upon her natural artistic abilities and developed a new style for Native American jewelry, one that incorporated contemporary designs using gemstones with traditional stones. As the only female Native American Jewelry manufacturer in the 1970s, she pioneered the way for the women that would follow her.

Today, each piece is handcrafted using the same meticulous attention to detail that Gertrude utilized when she started her business. At the Gertrude Zachary jewelry manufacturing facility in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, each piece is created through a collaborative process between the designers and the Native American silversmiths who make each piece by hand. Many of the designs being created are ones Gertrude drew. The designers were personally trained by Gertrude.

This pendant features dots, crosses and pearls on an oxidized background. It was designed by Gertrude Zachery and made by Navajo artist Willie Ronnie.