Silver Eagle Gallery on Fifth Avenue South, in Naples is, and always has been, a family affair. Poised to celebrate its 50th year in January 2024, co-owner Deborah Nelson says there’s no question that the reason is love of family, Native American jewelry and art, as well as a love for rocks, minerals, gemstones, fossils, and teakwood sculpture from around the world—everything sold in their two stores.

“We have always felt a strong connection to the Earth and respect for indigenous cultures. The more we learned about the history, spirituality and talent of Native Americans, the stronger our desire to share it became. Our family has represented the work of talented Native American artists for almost 50 years. To do so in a way that avoids cliches and stereotypical thinking has been our mission, joy and privilege,” said Deborah Nelson.  

The family’s entry into retail began in 1974 in Wisconsin. Deborah and her husband Craig, who shared a long-time, deep connection to Native American art, culture, history and spirituality, added a few pieces of hand-made sterling silver jewelry in their fledgling plant and macrame shop. The retail adventure flourished beyond expectations. The couple began making multiple buying trips out West and more importantly, making connections with representatives of the Navaho, Zuni, Santo Domingo and Hopi tribes, among others.

“Silver Eagle Gallery is dedicated to presenting an authentic American art form. The rugged spirit of Native Americans is part of our cultural history. Turquoise jewelry is ageless and timeless. Through the years, Native Americans have experimented with even greater variations in design. The fine craftsmanship of their jewelry is recognized worldwide,” says Deborah.

The Nelsons visited Naples where Deborah’s father and other relatives lived. They fell in love with Naples and opened the gallery on 5th Avenue South in 1996. Deborah and Craig traveled back and forth between Wisconsin, Florida and New Mexico. They sold the Wisconsin store and in 2001 and opened another Silver Eagle Gallery in the mountains of Western North Carolina in Highlands. “Our son, Ben, and daughter, Heather, shared our interests and began to work with us while they were in high school. When they finished college, they joined the business.” said Craig Nelson. 

Today, the couple’s son Ben, an artist with a background in glass blowing, silversmithing and ceramics, is the Highlands, North Carolina gallery manager. His wife Mia, from Bulgaria, is a display artist and buyer for the family business. Daughter Heather, who spent 10 years in fashion photography and advertising in New York and Miami, became the manager of the Naples gallery in 2011. The Nelsons had created their own Dream Team combining the family’s talents and expanding the business to include the addition of a successful website and a large collection of gems, crystals and metaphysical items. 

“We have an amazing amount of interest from the metaphysical and spiritual communities. In particular, the metaphysical healing practitioners who use gemstones and crystals in their practices have strongly supported us. Interior designers have begun to incorporate crystal and stone specimens in their home interiors and commercial spaces. Rockhounds and people with an interest in geology love the huge collection in both galleries. This amounts to probably one-half of our business now. Our crystals are popular gifts amongst metaphysical people for housewarmings, birthdays, and holidays such as Christmas. Others buy them for housewarming and wedding gifts and the interior decorators love to shop here,” said Heather. 

Deborah buys for the stores intuitively. “There are five of us that buy. We all like different things, but everything we buy must be well-made, high quality with great workmanship. Everything in our galleries is real and priced. The common denominator is the connection with the Earth. We have beautiful items in the gallery at every price point. No matter who comes in we have something for them which is why so many people love to shop here,” said Ben.

“We started with Native Americans because their belief system is Earth related. We stayed in that lane exclusively for 30 plus years. As a result, we know a lot of Native Americans personally and we support many of the causes and issues that they are involved with. Now, we’ve branched out and carry art and jewelry from other indigenous cultures in countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, Tibet and Bali. We handpick, inspect and authenticate everything,” says Deborah.

“The future of Silver Eagle will be in the hands of our family as we transition into retirement,” remarks Deborah. “We are excited to see where our children will take it and how it will grow and develop in the coming years. Craig and I have plans to travel, continue to learn and enjoy life.”

Silver Eagle Gallery locations: 850 Fifth Ave. S., in Naples. Call 239-403-3033; and 349 Main St., Highlands, NC. For more information, call 828-526-5190 or visit SilverEagleGallery.com.