Bold, individualistic and artistic, jeweler Seaman Schepps was lauded for his exciting color combinations and use of unexpected materials that redefined the meaning of precious. His innovative use of seashells and exotic woods changed the conversation about what makes jewelry fine, creating a new design vocabulary that included the unanticipated.
A Banker’s Name
Born in 1881 in New York City’s lower eastside, his parents were Hungarian immigrants. He was given the unusual name Seaman, when his mother saw a bank outside of the hospital window — Seamans Bank for Savings. Allegedly, believing that the name felt connected and monied, she named her son Seaman.
Growing up in New York City, Schepps showed an early interest in the arts. When he wasn’t busy doing odd jobs to help the family financially, Schepps spent his time hanging out at the Academy of Music and at Cooper Union. He also visited the City’s major theaters. All of this exposure to the arts helped Schepps to develop his own creativity, which in future years became a very important part of his career.
One of his first jobs was as a traveling salesman. In 1904 he found himself in Los Angeles, a place that changed his life. First he got married and then he opened a store selling antiques and jewelry. In 1921, after a short time in San Francisco and another few years spent in Los Angeles, Schepps returned to New York City.
Seaman Schepps Returns to New York
After arriving back in New York City, Schepps opened a new boutique on Sixth Avenue around the corner from the famous Algonquin Hotel and its infamous lunch crowd of artists, writers and intellectuals who were renowned creatives of their time. The daily gatherings of this group became known as the Algonquin Round Table bestowing a creative aura and importance to the hotel and the surrounding businesses, including Seaman Schepps.
The business was doing quite well, but when the stock market crashed in 1929, Schepps lost everything, including his store. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Schepps recovered and reopened his boutique. In his new space Schepps delighted his customers with fresh styles that were voluminous, filled with audacious color combinations and used nontraditional materials, such as wood or shells that were combined with precious gemstones and gold, crafting a new wave of trendsetting jewelry.
New Materials
Schepps talent was in using materials that were not generally used to make jewelry. He liked coral, baroque pearls, turquoise and lapis lazuli; he also favored pastel colored gemstones. His oversized, voluptuous jewels were sophisticated, playful and a celebration of creativity. The varied combinations of materials that Schepps used gave his jewelry a style of its own.
Schepps use of exotic wood and shells was groundbreaking at the time and both materials were used to make what would become iconic pieces in his line. Schepps first started using shells in his jewelry designs at the request of one of his most important clients, who showed up at his store with a necklace of turbo shells, asking that they be turned into earrings. Schepps rose to the challenge, capping the shell ends with either pearls, turquoise or coral and then wire wrapping the shell with gold. He also turned ebony and rosewood into links for his oversized curb link bracelets that alternated wood links with precious materials that included coral, gold, amber and carnelian.
Schepps changed the definition of what is considered precious when he used shells and wood in his jewelry, by treating those ordinary materials as if they were gold or gemstones. The wood and gemstone curb link bracelets and shell earrings epitomized casual chic and were a complete departure from the more traditional look of the early and mid 20th century.
An Influential Client List
Schepps’ innovative jewelry caught the attention of fashion editors and his pieces began to appear regularly on the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Look magazines. He also had a clientele that read like a who’s who of society influencers who wore and collected his jewelry including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Duchess of Windsor, Katherine Hepburn, Andy Warhol, the Dupont family, the Mellon family and the Rockefeller family. His famous clientele led to Schepps being nicknamed “America’s Court Jeweler”.
In 1972, Seaman Schepps passed away. His daughter, Patricia Schepps Vaill, took over the business and sold it to private investors in 1992. Today Seaman Schepps continues to delight jewelry enthusiasts in his New York City store that creates jewels using original molds and sketches to preserve the design aesthetic that he so brilliantly created.
Top of Page: Diamond, cultured pearl, sapphire, tourmaline and 18-karat gold necklace, signed Seaman Schepps, circa 1980s.
Retro diamond, ruby and 14-karat gold bracelet, signed Seaman Schepps, circa 1940s, formerly in the private collection of Andy Warhol; Agate, carnelian, chrysoprase, coral, lapis lazuli, onyx, tiger’s eye, turquoise and 18-karat gold, bracelet and earring set, signed Seaman Schepps, circa 1960s; Ebony wood, rock crystal and 18-karat white gold link bracelet, signed Seaman Schepps; Diamond, blue zircon and 18-karat white gold bracelet, signed Seaman Schepps, circa late 20th century.
Authored by Amber Michelle