About Drue:
Drue Sanders is a native of Albany, educated at St. Agnes School and graduated in 1968. She first attended college at Cedarcrest College for women, transferred to SUNY at Albany in 1970 when her father became ill. She received a BA in Studio Art and English in 1972 from SUNY at Albany.
During her summers of undergraduate work, Drue apprenticed with Brian Faunce Silversmiths in Hyannis, Massachusetts. From 1972-1973 she was a full time apprentice with Master Craftsman Silver Arts, Inc. where she mastered manufacturing techniques. In 1973 she began her Master program in Metal Sculpture to Wear at SUNY at Albany. During the summers of her graduate work, she opened her first business in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
After finishing graduate school, she opened her first full time business. Since that time she pursued her graduate certification from The Gemological Institute of America and has continued studies in management, computers, and business. Drue is very active in the community, has served on many boards and currently serves on the board with Living Resources. She also continues to support many health and other organizations as much as possible with donations of goods and services.
Drue was president of the Clifton Country Merchants Association 1979-1983, President of The Stuyvesant Plaza Merchant’s Association from 1989-1993, and served on the Board of Directors for the Millay Colony of Arts from 1995-2001.
Drue’s first store opened in 1973 in The Whaler’s Warf in Provincetown, Massachusetts with a staff of one, Drue Sanders, and a very small 7×9 ft location. In 1975 Drue Sanders Silversmith, LTD was founded and opened in July in the MidCity Shopper’s Village in Menands, with a staff of two. In the two years of being in business in the Shopper’s Village, she expanded three times. In April 1977, Drue moved her location to Clifton Country Mall. She opened at Clifton Country Mall with a staff of three and within six years grew to a staff of eight and a thriving business.
In her continued growth she took advantage of the reformation of Stuyvesant Plaza and opened a second and larger store in October of 1984 and formed Drue Sanders Silversmiths of Stuyvesant, LTD. After being in business in Stuyvesant Plaza for five years, Drue changed the name to a DBA of Drue Sanders Custom Jewelers and moved her location, doubling in size, in June 1989. She has continued to grow and expand her line of jewelry and customer base.
Drue relocated her operations and design studio to 1675 Western Avenue in Guilderland in January 1995 and has been making dreams come true for over 45 years.