Three years ago today

While we celebrate Nancy almost daily, it was today - three years ago - that we lost her. It’s a difficult day for us here at the store. We bring fresh flowers, light a candle and try to fill the day with our favorite stories of Nancy. We talk about her joie de vivre, her ability to find humor in anything, her larger-than-life personality, her sparkle... Her spirit fills the store and it almost feels like she could walk in at any moment and flash that Cheshire-cat smile at us. We miss her.

We’d like to remind everyone that Nancy’s husband Russell established a fund in her memory to keep the arts alive in local schools. You can read more about it on our website www.nancybrowncustomjeweler.com. Click on the button for the Nancy Brown Memorial Endowment at the bottom of the page. You can even make a donation from there if you feel so inclined.

Indian Market is on its way

Indian Market is almost upon us! For those of you who haven’t been fortunate enough to experience this event, it is the largest Native American Indian arts market in the world happening yearly here in Santa Fe since 1922. The Santa Fe Indian Market® includes 1,200 artists from about 100 tribes who take over downtown Santa Fe to show their work in over 600 booths.


Buyers, collectors and gallery owners from all over the world come to Indian Market to take advantage of the opportunity to buy directly from the artists. For many visitors, this is a rare
opportunity to meet the artists and learn about contemporary Indian arts and cultures.































We will be featuring one of our newest artists here in the store with a trunk show during Indian Market. We are very excited to present the KIR collection, sterling silver and 18 carat gold designs adorned with semi-precious stones and pearls. A fascination with the idea that a well-made piece of jewelry may one day become an heirloom inspired Kir Boedecker to design her first piece of jewelry nearly twenty years ago. References to exotic cultures, detailed textures, unusual finishes and the finest craftsmanship combine to create a striking and versatile collection – and all of it will be in here the store August 21st through August 23rd! We’ll be kicking off the KIR trunk show with an opening that Friday night from 5 to 7 p.m. Come join us for wine and cheese!

Springtime in Santa Fe

It’s springtime in Santa Fe, and you know what that means… wind! Despite the tornado-like conditions, tourists are making their way around the downtown streets stopping in for a reprieve from the weather and looking at what’s new at Nancy Brown’s.

We returned from the Tucson Gem Show with plenty of beautiful beads – all of which have been turned into one-of-a-kind necklaces. Sapphires, Garnets, Citrine, Kyanite and of course, Turquoise just to name a few… the store is full of color, just in time for Easter!

We are very excited to announce that we now have the gorgeous work of Michael Sugarman and his wife Christie Franz. Together they create a line of beautiful show-stopping pieces – juicy natural stones in fabulous diamond accented settings. One of Michael’s most popular designs is his “Connect the Dots” – spirals and waves of gold with a path of diamonds – timeless and easy to wear!

Soon it will be May and that means the weather will be warm and mild, everything will start to bloom, and there’s no better place to be than Santa Fe.

Who is Nancy Brown?

A native of New York, Nancy held a degree in Elementary Education and taught in the San Francisco Bay area fresh out of college. She returned to New York for graduate study in English History and began jewelry lessons. Her natural artistic ability led her to excel at jewelry fabrication and her calling to become a custom jeweler was born.

Nancy arrived in Santa Fe in 1973 with very modest means. To make ends meet, she waited tables at one downtown restaurant during the day and was a hostess at another at night. She would often sell her pieces right off her arm while engaging with customers. She also sewed costumes for the Santa Fe Opera in what spare time she had. She acquired a job as a bench jeweler at a small store called Sunrise Jewelry. Never afraid to dream the grand dream, she aspired to own her own business and was eventually able to purchase the store.

Nancy Brown Custom Jeweler has been in operation since 1985 and is considered the biggest little jewelry store in Santa Fe with a nationwide reputation for quality and exceptional customer service. The success of the store is solely due to Nancy’s determination, “can-do” attitude, sparkling personality, leadership and dedication to her employees and customers. Those who knew her, loved her. Her spirit lives on through her store and the Nancy Brown Memorial Endowment.