Truly a Classic: Seaman Schepps Link Bracelet

Seaman Schepps revolutionized the way many woman wore and purchased jewelry. His designs were “the kind of jewelry women wanted for themselves: wearable, exciting and modern, mixing high and low elements together.”*

Created in the 1940s the Classic Schepps Link Bracelet is one of my most favorite pieces of jewelry that he designed. It is a simple yellow gold link bracelet in an alternating pattern with another material, which is not so entirely innovative, but it is a daring twist on a standard bracelet that suddenly makes it a conversation piece.  The other material could be coral, crystal, turquoise or my personal favorite of wood. The bracelets are sold in a variety of widths and links. The visual effect is very rich and dimensional.

The bracelets can be dressed up or down, worn alone or, for the women lucky enough to have more than one, worn in multiples. Different materials can be combined on the same arm, and multiple bracelets can be joined to make one necklace. A couple of links from a shortened bracelet can be used for earrings. Multiple use jewelry is a great way to get variety and longevity out of a look that you love.

*The quote is taken from a fabulous book on Seaman Schepps, which is informative and beautifully illustrated. Seaman Schepps: A Century of New York Jewelry Design, Vaill, Amanda and Zapata, Janet, photography by Behl, David, The Vendome Press, 2004, reference Pg. 11.

The Poetry of Paper Jewelry

Minh Thu Leroy is a friend, landscape architect by training and a thoughtful, insightful jewelry designer. Yes, the focus of her work is paper!

She began several years ago making creations from paper, which lead naturally to jewelry because it allowed her to play with space and volume. Minh Thu’s necklaces are all made from very durable laminated paper. The paper is used in all forms from the thinnest translucent discs of color, like the necklace shown here, to large elements of rolled paper that take on the appearance of a hard stone. The color of the paper is also an intricate feature ranging from the palest pinks to bold, vibrant juxtaposition of colors. Her work can be found on her website and  at several retail locations. Each necklace is a work of art!

“Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on paper, alas, not so easy as looking at it” -Vincent Van Gogh

Aquamarine: Classic Beauty

With its “sea blue” color, large size and often flawless interior the aquamarine has been treasured by jewelry designers throughout the 20^th Century. The aquamarine is found in a range of beautiful pale blues to a strong greenish-blue, hence its name. It is in the beryl family, which is the same family as the emerald, but aquamarines are generally free of eye visible inclusions and and it is not uncommon to find them in sizes of 10 carats or larger. It has a relatively good hardness for jewelry of 7.5 to 8 on the Moh’s scale for hardness, the diamond scores a 10.

Old tradition promises the wearer of aquamarine joy and wealth. Whether you believe this to be true or not it is a joy to wear such a beautiful stone: perhaps framed by diamonds in an Edwardian brooch, featured in a Retro rose gold cocktail ring, or set in a contemporary necklace by Faraone Mennella with alternating pink tourmalines with diamond accents.

Aquamarine is the birthstone for the month of March.