f i r m p r o f i l e gar r i c k b e c k , natu ra l s ton e s m e m b e r
I was born and raised in Man- hattan in NewYork City. My parents were Off-Broadway theatre people—beatniks.The company they founded,The Living Theatre, is still active today, but they encouraged me to find my route in life. I took their advice and didn’t go into the theatre business. Nevertheless, my work in the gemstone trade has allowed me to be able to work freely on many projects including a chil- dren’s gardening program and several large-scale, avant-garde cultural events—which my upbringing in theatre prepared me for particularly well. I have three grown children, each of whom has followed their direction as well. (One is an engineer working on energy solutions, one works with a market research group and also concierges at a restaurant, and one is an environmental activist working on projects around the
world.) My wife Jenny and I live a short drive outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. On weekends, when I was just 5 or 6 years old, my father sometimes took me up along the Hudson River’s banks near the old red lighthouse below the GeorgeWashington Bridge. There I would find chunks of mica, ‘books’ of it really, half-buried in the ground. I would dig these up and take them home, displaying them on a shelf. I called them my “trea- sures.” I guess I’ve been a “rock person” ever since. Tell us the fascinating story of how you got your start in the colored gemstone business. One day, while I was working in the health food business, I had a bit of “extra money” in my pocket and was walking across town, so I decided to stroll down 47th Street and do
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any wonderful individuals in the gem trade are found in Tucson. One
such person, whom everyone always looks forward to seeing and chatting with, is the articu- late Garrick Beck. Garrick is an incredible wealth of knowledge and a source of exceptional col- ored gemstones.
Below: Garrick with his son, Robin, hanging up their “shingle” 26 years ago.
Will you share about yourself, where you grew up, and your family today?
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