Seaman Schepps was born in 1881 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Legend has it that the Seaman’s Bank for Savings, visible from his mother’s hospital window, was the inspiration for his name. As a young boy, Seaman Schepps worked various odd jobs. He later became a traveling salesman, making his way cross country to Los Angeles where in 1904 he opened his first shop and soon married. In 1914, he relocated to San Francisco and opened “The Virginia Studios” a store named for his first daughter, Virginia Jane. After his younger daughter Patricia was born, the family returned to Los Angeles where he again opened for business. The Schepps family returned east in 1921. Seaman Schepps opened on 6th Avenue around the corner from the Algonquin Hotel in the heart of New York City. Many of his clients were patrons of the arts and theatre and stars of the stage and screen. Due to the stock market crash in 1929, Schepps lost everything including his newly built shop at 1066 6th Avenue. The shock of this loss led Seaman Schepps to a turning point. In re-thinking his business strategy he decided to develop exclusive designs mixing unique ideas, bold colors and sharp textures. In 1934, he opened his doors on Madison Avenue and was well on his way to being known as the most innovative American jeweler of his time. While on a trip around the world, Mr. Schepps was so enamored with Hong Kong that he delayed the rest of his tour to stay for three months. There he discovered unlimited resources which could be adapted to extraordinary jewelry creations. From rough branch coral to lawn ornaments to elegantly carved ivory chess pieces, Schepps was inspired by everything that crossed his path.