Gathering Tribes

There is something for everyone at Gathering Tribes. You will not walk out of GT without learning something new. This is gallery is a rare find. Living up to its name, Gathering Tribes has brought together people from all sorts of different tribes and walks of life to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of native america. a frequent customer for the past 6 years now, i can say that the effort and care that goes into this beautiful gallery and its art pieces is spectacular. it feels good to walk into an place where the employees are happy to be working, and are completely knowledgeable about every piece showcased. An even better treat is that some of the artists whose pieces are featured in the gallery sometimes come for a special one weekend show, an event NOT to be missed if you're in the bay area!

I give this gallery an infinite amount of stars, thumbs up, etc. You'll will be happy you visited!

Cons: NONE

Posted 09/09/08

Gathering Tribes is a very unique store. The store has very beautiful very well made and high quality jewelry. I have bought many things there for myself, family and girlfriends, which everyone has loved. The beaded barretts are one of my farvorite thing to wear in my hair, whenever I wear one I get a compliment. If you are lucky you can catch Micheal Horse in there doing his famous ledger paintings ( which I also own one :). He also has his beautiful jewelry on display and for sale. The best of all everything is hand picked by the owner and made by Native American's or Indigenous People from other countries. It's worth a trip to Berkeley to check out this store and the wonderful people who run it!

Posted 11/07/07

I live in Sonoma County and i drive to Berkeley to shop at Gathering Tribes to get the best Native art and Jewelry as well as the best service.
Staff at Gathering Tribes is very kind competent and generous with their time and energy.
Art is superb.
peace-elizabeth

Pros: excellent service, art and information on indigenous issues and creations.

Cons: None

Posted 11/07/07

As soon as you walk into Gathering Tribes, you know the energy is good, and that the employees are happy to be working there. All of them are very knowledgable about the products,and happy to share the stories that come with them. Everything in the store is of excellent quality, made directley by people of many different native/indigenous backgrounds. Gathering Tribes is unique in that it hosts many shows and events, where artists will come into the store for a weekend or two displaying their new jewelry/art. No where else have I met the artist of my jewelry. Every product in that store is a work of art.

Pros: amazing energy, awesome employees, beautiful works of art

Cons: NONE

Posted 11/07/07

I have shopped at this amazing store each and every time I come to the Bay Area. When I fly in from Seattle I make this store the fist stop on my list! The atmosphere is so pleasant and the products beautiful I can stay for hours. I have bought many pieces of jewelry here, for myself and as gifts. The craftsmanship is second to none. We have many jewelry stores in Seattle, but none of them carry the uniqueness and quality of the pieces I find at Gathering Tribes. I get many compliments when I wear this jewelry as well as the beautiful hair accessories. In the words of your Governor . . ?I'll be back!? In fact, I have got my Christmas list started and am planning another trip to Gathering Tribes . . .

Posted 11/07/07

The scent of sage gently wafts through the air...as one weaves their way through this spirited rich collection of the finest Native American art available outside of the four corners area. And not only is the jewelry to die for - beautiful pieces by the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Santo Domingo (stunning!) tribes and more...but their offering of yarn and beadwork by the Huichol Indians from Mexico is AMAZING! I love this stuff...it is simply mesmerizing. The staff at Gathering Tribes is so knowledgeable and friendly, sometimes I just go in to soak up all the good vibes and learn something new about a culture so rich in spirit and storytelling, so grounded in all that used to be and still is good in this country. The owner, Pennie, knows her stuff. I've been to New Mexico and Arizona and all through the southwest, and it never fails, I ALWAYS find something at GT that I've never seen anywhere else. Without reservation (pun intended), I highly recommend a visit to Gathering Tribes in Berkeley...you won't be sorry!!

Pros: authenticity, knowledgeable, great service, amazing selection

Cons: none

Posted 11/07/07

What a fake. This seemed like a good store at first. My daughter picked out a large turquoise ring, as a gift from her aunt. The 2nd time(!) she wore it, the stone fell out. The "turquoise" was a thin wafer glued onto a clay disk. My nail polish looks thicker than that turquoise sliver. She put the stone back in the setting. It sat too low. No one at the store told us, nor had this $90 ring come with any description, that the "turquoise" was a thin wafer on a clay disk, set in sand to raise it up to look bigger. My first & only other experience with turquoise was from a Tibetan store just a few stores away, where what you saw was what you got. Upon calling, the store offered to mail the ring for repair just this once back to the jewelry maker, a process they told me would take several months. Several months. No apology at all. Then I called 3 different Native American stores, two out of state. Each store owner said that no true Native American jeweler would make turquoise rings this way. Each ventured to say it was a fake.

Pros: Nice ambience to the store

Cons: Beware! Fake turquoise!

Posted 01/30/07

This little gallery is packed with beautiful hand-crafted items made by Native Americans from many tribes. The jewelry is delicious and abundant! The art by Michael Horse and Rabbett Strickland is stunning. A great selection of Zuni Fetish carvings. The staff is helpful and friendly and knowledgeable. All in all, this place is a good place to spend some quality shopping time.

Posted 07/05/05