Martha passed away January 16th, 2019, she will be greatly missed by family, friends, students,and customers.
Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA
I absolutely love Gene and Martha. They are such lovely people, they always have a coterie of family members around them. They work only in natural stones and, honestly, often don't even know what they are called, they just liked them.
Born in 1932, Gene is a master jeweler who has been active since the late 1940's. He is a veteran of the Korean war, having served in the Army. He married Martha and trained her in jewelry-making, she started producing work in the 1960's. Gene is brother to another master jeweler, Dan Jackson.
Martha had a Master's degree from University of Arizona. She taught linguistics at Dine College, striving to preserve the language that the US Government tried so hard to eliminate (the same language that was used throughout World War II to prevent the Japanese from understanding our vital radio transmissions, go figure.) On her passing, she was awarded emeritus status on the faculty at Dine College.
Martha had experienced a bad bout with pneumonia in 2015. She made it back to Indian Market in 2016 but, sadly, was noticeably less robust than in the past.
I last saw Martha in Prescott in 2017. It was there she told me her beloved daughter Bernice (also a educator and jeweler), had died, after a short illness, less than a month previous on June 10th. Bernice had been the "rock" that helped her parents with their booths at shows. Martha was understandably devastated and clearly the wind had been taken out of her sails.
Martha was one of my very favorite people to see at shows and catch up. I'm sorry she is gone but am glad to have known her. I don't know if Gene will continue, he has been quite frail the few years and just may not be up for it anymore.
I do still have some of their work, posted and unposted.
They are the parents of five children, including jeweler Tommy Jackson (see elsewhere on my site) and many grandchildren.
My customers love their work often because of the stones and the fact that they are accessible, price-wise for handmade jewelry. They have always been so generous with me, letting me buy at the beginning of a show, instead of at the end.
They only see me briefly once or twice a year and tend to not remember my name but have latched on to calling me "Tall Woman from New Jersey" which I find quite amusing. I always looked forward to seeing them.
Gene and Martha designed around the stones so every piece is different even if the settings are similar.
In addition to the small pieces they do traditional silver-work of sand casting and shadowbox bracelets.
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Gene & Martha Jackson - (Navajo), Arizona, USA Native American Indian jewelry Brilliant green Variscite (sometimes mistaken for or misrepresented as turquoise). Gift Boxed Metal: Sterling Silver Other Materials: Cut,...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA This is a lovely pair of beautiful green turquoise, don't know what mine. Gift Boxed Height Earring Total: 1-7/8"H Height - Cabochon:...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelry Native American Jewelry The Jacksons had an unusual amount of lapis this year at Indian Market (2016). Like last year, it was very good...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelry Native American Indian handmade earrings by master jewelers. Hand-cut rhodochrosite pink triangles. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups One of a...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelry Native American Indian handmade earrings by master jewelers. Hand-cut lapis lazuli teardrops Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups One of a Kind...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelry, Arizona, USA Native American Indian jewelry Charming petite natural turquoise stud earrings. Great deal for handmade work by master jewelers Gene & Martha Jackson. They...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Native American Jewelry Handmade turquoise pendant by master jewelers. Really pretty hand-cut teardrop of deep blue-green matrixed turquoise, dark host rock. Martha didn't tell me what...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA This is a lovely pair of beautiful natural green-blue turquoise, don't know what mine. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA This is a lovely pair of Jasper earrings that change under different lighting conditions. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelers Handmade and hand-cut natural turquoise earrings by Master Jewelers Gift Boxed Metal: Sterling Silver Other Materials: Cut, Polished, and Inlay of Turquoise Cabochon Height...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Native American Jewelry, Arizona, USA Nice carnelian ovals in one of the Jackson's popular settings, small silver beaded flanks. Executed by master jewelry artists, Gene...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Native American Jewelry, Arizona, USA Pretty chunks of deep red coral in one of the Jackson's popular settings, small silver beaded flanks. Executed by master jewelry...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA Attractive mottled black & white by master jewelry artists, Gene and Martha. As always, reasonably priced. Gene is over 80 years old. The Jackson...
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Gene & Martha Jackson, Navajo This is a lovely oval cabochon of turquoise by master jewelry artists. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups The photos are often MUCH larger...
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Gene & Martha Jackson, Navajo Martha passed away January 16, 2019. This had been in my inventory since August of 2012 and is new, not pre-owned. I did not know,...
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Gene & Martha Jackson, Navajo This has been purchased in a direct sale. Martha passed away January 16, 2019 at the age of 86. As with most GMJ works, the...
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Gene & Martha Jackson, Navajo Martha passed away January 16, 2019. This had been in my inventory since November of 2011 and is new, not pre-owned. Remember to check the dimensions-the...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - (Navajo) Martha passed away in January 16, 2019 Deep, dark, lapis set in this beautiful version of a trademark design. Their usual stamping surrounds the entire...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Native American Jewelry Handmade turquoise pendant by master jewelers. Attractive hand-cut triangle of natural light green matrixed turquoise. Martha didn't tell me what kind of turquoise this...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Jewelry, Arizona, USA Striking color combination stud earrings. I liked that they left some of the white shell in this, for me, it added interest. Inexpensive handmade...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Arizona, USA This is a lovely pair of a beautiful jasper combination. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups One of...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - (Navajo), Arizona, USA Chatoyant cabochons of Seraphinite (from Siberia, Russia) by master jewelers Gene and Martha Jackson. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - (Navajo), Native American Indian Jewelry These are absolutely stunning. I got first crack at Gene and Martha's work at Indian Market and grabbed these immediately. The turquoise...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - (Navajo) Deep indigo lapis chock full of pyrite inclusions interfaced with red coral horizontal ovals. My photography is an insult to these beautiful earrings. This was...
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Beautiful large oval cabochon of natural blue turquoise with iron pyrite inclusions by master jewelry artists. Martha passed January 16, 2019. Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups The photos are...
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Gene & Martha Jackson, Navajo Lovely, highly polished large oval cabochon of natural green turquoise Remember to check the dimensions-the photos are extreme close-ups The photos are often MUCH larger than the actual piece One...
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Gene & Martha Jackson - Navajo Handmade pendant by master jewelers. Attractive hand-cut triangle of natural blue green azurite. I'm a sucker for azurite and this is a lovely piece with its trademark...