Vintage Seaman Schepps Jewelry – How to Buy

Seaman Schepps jewelry is always recognizable and it always makes a statement. It is never subtle, always large, bold and dramatic. If you are wanting to add vintage Seaman Schepps jewelry to your collection, you have come to the right place to learn about the history, marks, materials used, and tips on how to buy. 

Brief History of Seaman Schepps Jewelry

Seaman Schepps was born in 1881 on Manhattan's Lower East Side. He left school at 14 to work a variety of jobs, until he became a salesman traveling from New York to Los Angeles and back. He had a discerning eye for decorative objects and trinkets and collected his treasures on his travels. He eventually settled in LA and opened a shop that sold antiques, artifacts and jewelry. When he later returned to NY, he opened a shop on Sixth Avenue selling only jewelry that he purchased.

When Seaman lost everything in the stock market crash of 1929, he used the time to re-imagine his business. When he reopened his shop, he sold only jewelry that he designed himself. His designs were revolutionary: distinctive and bold with unexpected color combinations and unexpected materials.

Watch to see examples of Seaman Schepps Jewelry

The “glitterati” flocked to his shop: members of the wealthiest families, such as the DuPonts and Rockefellers; the glamorous stars of stage and screen, such as Carole Lombard and Lauren Bacall; President Franklin D. Roosevelt and, later, Jacqueline Kennedy; Fidel Castro, for gosh sakes! Seaman's clientele was the closest thing the US has to royalty and so he was dubbed “America's Court Jeweler.”

While other jewelry at the time may have conferred status on its wearers, Seaman's designs made a statement and often it was whimsical. He used the “big guns,” diamonds, rubies and emeralds, but he tended to use them as supporting players rather than the star. He was interested in shapes and an unorthodox mixing of semiprecious gems and found materials, in transforming unexpected materials into powerful works of extraordinary beauty. His designs have never gone out of style. His jewelry continues to inspire jewelry designers today.

His jewelry is considered by many to be works of art, as evidenced by the exhibits in his honor in museums across the US and Europe.

Seaman died in 1972, and his daughter, Patricia Schepps Vaill, continued his legacy for 20 years when she sold the business to Jay Bauer and Anthony Hopenhajm.

Seaman Schepps Jewelry Designers

• Seaman Schepps, with no formal training, began designing jewelry after he lost his business. His designs were unique, bold, fabulously chunky and clunky with irregularly cut gemstones, eclectic colors and materials gathered from nature, such as wood and seashells. 
• Patricia Schepps Vaill followed in her father's footsteps during her 20 years at the helm. She honored his legacy by creating jewelry that reflected his own, but also developed new lines that would appeal to a younger market. 
• Jay Bauer and Anthony Hopenhajm likewise based their designs on Seaman's traditional style. In the archives, they had more than 5,000 of his detailed jewelry designs and 650 molds to guide them. But, like Patricia, they also designed new collections in order to bring the characteristic Schepps whimsy to a new generation. They also changed the “rules” somewhat by decreeing that all metal used would be 18K gold.

Jewelry Marks

• “Seaman Schepps”
• “Seaman Schepps” with “P.S.V.” for Patricia Schepps Vaill designs
• Shell Pictomark
• Individual number of the piece

Materials Used 

• 18K Yellow or White Gold
• Silver
• Diamond, ruby, emerald
• Pearls
• Light blue sapphire
• Yellow topaz
• Citrine
• Turquoise
• Lapis
• Onyx
• Jade
• Pink quartz
• Chalcedony
• Coral
• Ivory
• Seashells
• Rock crystal
• Wood
• Glass

Collectible Vintage Seaman Schepps Jewelry

Tips for Buying Vintage Seaman Schepps Jewelry

Buying vintage jewelry wisely is primarily a matter of having experience. The more you see, the more you handle, the more knowledge you have, the better you will be at discerning the “wheat from the chaff.” Here we have some things you can do until you get to that point. 

Learn all that you can

Learn about specific designers, the markings the history of designs, and the prices. The Internet is full of information, some of it more reliable than others, and then there are the underused libraries to wander through and books to buy. 

Examine the jewelry intently

Use a loupe. Take particular notice of the back. People who forge jewelry tend to skimp on the back. Check the markings, the prongs, the findings.

Beware of “too good”

It is almost always not true. That goes for price, of course, If, for example, you see a Seaman Schepps item for, say, $100, run, not walk, away from it. I doubt you could find a Schepps for under $1,000. “Too good” also applies to the condition of the piece. There should be evidence of wear on a vintage piece.

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