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.

Faraone Mennella: From Italy with Glamour

The jewelry of the Italian duo of Robert Faraone Mennella and Amedeo Scognamiglio has been catching my eye every where recently. Designing under the name of Faraone Mennella, the firm produces bold, yet feminine jewelry that will join the timeless creations of many famous jewelry houses.

Their collection is cohesive; the prominent style is larger, glamorous pieces using warm and often muted colors. Their style is very reminiscent of what I love best from Seaman Schepps. The collection also features many interesting fancy link chains, often incorporating links of different hard stones. The pieces that I am most drawn to feature large cabochon cut stones, stones cut in a highly polished convex form not faceted, in wonderful color juxtapositions. Faraone Mennella’s latest ad campaign, which can be seen on their website and in many publications, features a flower motif necklace and a “fringe” necklace, both stellar examples of this style.

When in doubt…

A black cocktail dress with a fabulous pair of earrings is always appropriate for an evening out. Drawing from Audrey Hepburn and the glamour of the 1950s, keep it simple and elegant.

The earrings can also set the tone for the outfit; the same black dress could be worn with 1950s style platinum and diamonds cluster earrings for a night on the town, or dressed down a bit with large shell ear clips reminiscent of Seaman Schepps designs. Oversized yellow gold ear clips always make a cheerful statement. Keep it simple…keep it fabulous!