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.

Cocktail (Rings) Anyone?

Big, chunky, colorful rings have always been a favorite of mine but more and more they are popping up on the pages of all of the top fashion magazines. Best of all, they are not just for evening any more. Many oversized rings have a very casual and playful appeal to them.

Perfect for day, oversized rings most often feature cabochon or fancy cut semi-precious stones alone or in a bold combination of colors, in gold mountings. Bulgari, whose signature look is easily recognized and often copied, popularized this look for day. Another great look for day is big cabochons of coral or turquoise; both work in simple or heavy gold mounting and are a stylish and economical way to incorporate color.

For evening, many of the rings we are seeing today recall the glamorous cocktail rings of the 1940s. Like the period example in the photograph, these rings often boldly feature a large emerald-cut, or square-cut center colored stone. Most often these are semi-precious stones such as a beautiful, golden tone citrine or an eye-catching pink tourmaline, grass green peridot or aquamarine. For evening these stones may be accented by diamonds or by diamonds together with another pop of color such as ruby. Don’t be afraid to wear these rings on your middle finger, which is where they often look best.