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.

Weekend Brief: A Brief for 31.45 Million Women

According to the US Census Bureau there are 62.9 million married American women. Sadly (or sometimes happily), statistics also show that fifty percent of them will divorce their husbands in the future.  This means that one question will be raised over 31 million times: who keeps the engagement ring? Don’t look at the law for an answer: the courts do not agree. Forget etiquette blogs. They are often , quite frankly, unrealistic in their expectations of chivalry. It seems most women keep the ring. So, this is for all of my friends that have found themselves, after the dust settles, with a diamond ring, which is unmistakably an engagement ring that means much less to them than it once did.

There are many ways to remount your stone that do not scream divorcee.  If you have enough cash, and don’t already have ear studs, purchasing a matching stone for earrings is a great option.  There are several pendant mountings that add to, rather than feature, the single diamond. One is a traditional pave-diamonds donut, which enhances the bezel-set center stone.  The diamond can also be framed in colored stones, or like a flower with marquise or pear-shaped stones. You may own a brooch, which would look fabulous accented by your diamond.  A flower brooch, circle pin or horseshoe, depending on the design, could absolutely shine with a larger diamond accent.

Finally, and possibly my favorite because everyone is wearing bangles and it is so un-ring-like,  a great design is a gold bangle “sprinkled” with bezel-set diamonds of different sizes. This design can also be accomplished if you have other pieces from your ex that you are breaking up and melting down.

When everything else fails, a belly button ring is always an option.

Your Pot of Gold…no leprechaun needed

As gold once again hovers around $1,000 per ounce, we are all temped to cash in our jewelry. I have two cautionary bits of advice: research before you cash in and don’t scrap anything you might regret later because you will have to buy it back at today’s high prices. It takes a lot of jewelry to equal an ounce and you won’t make a car payment with your great grandfather’s wedding band.

That said, I have spoken to many people who have cashed in single earrings, broken chains, dented what-evers and been thrilled with the return. Go to your local, trusted jeweler, or call several jewelers and ask for their scrap price. Do not let anyone convince you that the small diamonds or colored stones in your pieces are not worth anything. You should be compensated for them, or have them removed and returned to you. Your gold will be weighed in pennyweights (dwt.), which is the common jewelers’ unit of measure for mass. One dwt. is equal to .054 oz. You will be given a dollar price per dwt. These days, this figure will probably range from $12-20 per dwt., depending on the karat of the gold and whether the piece is solid or chain. This price, of course, fluctuates with the spot market, so follow the market. My favorite site to do that is www.kitco.com. Good Luck to ya!