Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
A scrappy, self-made artist who transformed turbo shells into decadent earrings and crystal chessmen into bold bracelets, Seaman Schepps (1881–1972) tirelessly worked his way up from the tenements of New York’s Lower East Side to become “America’s Court Jeweler.”
Born to immigrant parents who named him for the Seamen’s Bank for Savings that his mother could see from the hospital — or so the legend goes — Schepps dropped out of school at the age of 14 and never had any formal jewelry training. He later moved to California, where he opened his first jewelry shop in 1904. In 1921, he returned to New York to build on the success he’d begun to enjoy as a jeweler on the West Coast, but it wasn’t long before his Manhattan house, which counted Broadway stars and theater patrons among its clientele, was hit hard by the stock market crash of 1929. Schepps used this disruption to rethink his approach to jewelry, debuting a new store in 1934 on Madison Avenue, where he would make his mark in playful custom adornments.
While many high-end jewelers of his era focused on the purest and most valuable gemstones, Schepps chose his materials for their color and shape, elevating flawed stones others disregarded in collage-like formations involving unconventional materials such as fine wood, coral, seashells and flea-market finds. Passersby of his New York City shop could find a frog-shaped brooch carved from rosewood, a vintage snuff bottle broken into links for a bracelet and loose-drilled pearls plugged with diamonds. Schepps’s whimsical pieces found fans in fashion icons who appreciated his unique statements, including Doris Duke, Andy Warhol and the Duchess of Windsor.
Following Schepps’s death in 1972, his daughter, jewelry designer Patricia S. Vaill, ran the jewelry house for two decades before it was taken over by Jay Bauer and Anthony Hopenhajm of Trianon jewelry. Following the closure of the company’s Park Avenue store in November 2020, sales for Seaman Schepps is now based in its boutique location out of Palm Beach, Florida, where the legendary brand carries forth its founder’s spirited designs.
On 1stDibs, find a distinctive collection of vintage Seaman Schepps jewelry, including brooches, bracelets and other accessories.
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Carnelian, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Early 2000s American Modern Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Amber, 14k Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Early 2000s Italian Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1960s Italian Retro Vintage Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Agate, Pearl, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Silver
1970s European Vintage Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Carnelian, Citrine, Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold
20th Century Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Gilt Metal
20th Century Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Pearl, Diamond, Platinum
1990s Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Rock Crystal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Seaman Schepps More Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold