Tell us about Natural Stones today. Whom are we likely to speak with when we call? Our shop and gallery in Santa Fe have been open for 25 years serv- ing both the professional jew- elry community and the public. Shannon and Zoë co-manage the store. Both of them have been working at Natural Stones for more than a dozen years.
bed.They said of course they’d looked there, and the carpet had surely been vacuumed many times since.We were all just having fun. But then I saw a glint and I told them so.We all laughed, but there, on top of the floor molding at the back of the bed, was a tiny sparkle, and when I
What has your membership with the AGTA meant for/to you?
Membership has brought me into collegial contact with many more of the professionals in the busi- ness. But more importantly, it has brought greater confidence to my customers and business clients. What is your favorite colored gem- stone “AGTATucson Story” that has happened to you over the years? The very first year I exhibited at the Tucson Gem Show, I was staying in a hotel room and two German jewelers wandered by the open door.They stuck their heads in and mentioned that they’d stayed in that same room the year before. I invited them in, and we talked and chatted away.They said they had had an Emerald that “popped off ” the stone paper as they were opening it and they’d never found it. Just for fun, I took out my flashlight and crouched to look under the
reached out— there was their Emerald. I took that as a sign that I was in the right business.
What is your favorite little known/ unknown place in Santa Fe?
Above: A Rocky Butte (Owyhee area) Picture Jasper. Below: Natural Stones is known to carry and cut a large selection of picture stones and unusual designer cabochons.
The Galisteo Basin Preserve is a 10,000-acre natural preserve just south of town. It’s a great place for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Whom have you admired in the colored gemstone industry?
So many people. I admire the independent miners who are digging in remote areas looking for new materials.Also—and especially—the teachers who are passing along their knowl- edge and traditions to the next generations of fine jewelers: Fred deVos, Cecelia Bauer, Bianca Lopez, JonathanWahl, KateWolf to name just a few.
Garrick, you are a citizen of the world.What is your favorite city?
NewYork. For all the criticism everyone gives it about the noise and the hurrying about, NewYork has more different kinds of people getting along better together than anywhere else on earth.And the rest of the world would do well to learn from that!
What is your favorite hotel in the world?
Rancho Pescadero in Baja Sur, Mexico. It’s one of my favorite places to go either before the Tucson show—or to rest up afterward.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world?
My dear local restaurant, Maria’s, right here in Santa Fe. Great food, great ambiance, great service, and a true Santa Fe experience.
By David MBaker,G.G.,AGTA Membership & Education Manager
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