Growing up in Wisconsin, Gary Wick had some unique interests: pirates and rocks. “My mom was a rock hound and I loved minerals. I also loved pirate movies, stories of buried treasure and Indiana Jones,” Gary remembers. Little did he know that these boyhood interests would lead him to his lifelong passion and pursuit as an expert craftsman and custom jeweler. Gary’s first after-school job was with a local jeweler. “He was a third-generation jeweler. I went in one day and asked for a job. I told him I didn’t need money, I just wanted to learn how to do this stuff. I put in a lot of hours and got to learn from one of the best.”
Gary is the founder and co-owner of RedTree Jewelry, a true craftsman and philanthropist. He and a few other craftsmen create hand-crafted artisan custom jewelry in their primary workshop in Boerne. They also opened a storefront in Leon Springs three years ago. “Creating unique custom pieces allows us to use the best materials possible,” Gary explains. “We can do that where the mass manufacturers can’t. We try to combine the best quality and service. We’re not salespeople, we’re craftsmen.”
Gary’s commitment to quality is not RedTree’s only distinction. He is just as committed to utilizing the business as a foundation for philanthropy and serving his community. “More than anything, we want to use our God-given skills to make a positive impact on people’s lives,” Gary says.
This commitment started early in RedTree’s existence when Gary learned of a three-year-old girl suffering from brain tumors. A friend invited him to create a custom piece of jewelry for a silent auction designed to raise funds for an experimental treatment. “When I made and delivered this piece to the girl and her family, their faces just lit up,” Gary remembers. “It was a really profound moment for me. I saw the cause and effect of making the piece, how it created conversations and ended up becoming a part of her healing story.”
The unique piece created for this girl – a combination of three hearts - turned into the Trinity Series, RedTree’s first product line committed to raising funds for families in need. Now called the Heart Angel, the design is sold with a portion of the proceeds going to the local Ronald McDonald House.
Since then, RedTree has created custom pieces to help support other local charities and causes like Guardian House and the Lone Star Parkinson Society. “Some day,” he says, “we would like every piece to support a good cause in some way, shape or form.”
Recently Gary went back to his boyhood love of pirates to create a Shipwreck line. “It is fun and whimsical. I even got to replicate a 17th-century doubloon.” In a way, his story has come full circle. “I loved rocks and I loved treasure. I used to want to find buried treasure. But now, I literally get to make treasure!”
“For me, philanthropy is number one, the business comes second. That’s what this is always about, helping people. That’s what drives me.”
