A few weeks ago I stumbled on a pair of citrine studded shell earrings; it was the first time I’d seen a shell encrusted with anything other than barnacles, and they had my full attention.
I was immediately in love with the juxtaposition of something so raw and natural as a seashell, lit up by the sparkling facets of a gemstone. It sent me on a deep dive of the vintagenet — I was so curious to see what else was out there in this category.
A few designers kept coming up as I combed for glamorous shell jewelry. Mainly, Simon Schepps, MAZ, and Trianon. Then of course, lower level designers, costume jewelry, and knock-off brands — some with equally enchanting pieces.
Even a few modern-day designers such as @grecmuse, are creating their own version of ‘jewelry for mermaids’
And while there were many examples of adorned shell earrings, it was American jeweler Seaman Schepps who pioneered the style, after being commissioned by one of his clients to make a custom set of earrings from a necklace of turbo shells. Having been inspired by rough branch coral while traveling in Hong Kong earlier in his career, he had a vision of adorning the turbo shells in coral and turquoise. And there, with those cabochon cut stone domes mounted in gold wire, was born a jewelry trend that took on a life of its own.
The pieces that I loved most were branded as MAZ, a maker’s mark for which the web is a black hole, devoid of any historical information about the designer. I even checked with Jenny Walton, fashion historian extraordinaire, but she had not heard of MAZ either!
I did find a single sentence worth of intel from an old IG post, which indicated MAZ was a competitor of Seaman Schepps and had a store on Madison Avenue until the 1980s. For a brand with such a mysterious provenance, the sets typically start at $1k and go up from there — for this reason I don’t think I’ll be picking up a pair anytime soon. Unless, of course, I’m as lucky as my intel source, who stumbled on a pair while shopping costume jewelry in NY. A girl can dream!
Outside of the designer pieces, I’ve fallen for many playful pseudo-shells, shaped from a variety of materials including resin, plastic, lucite, and various metals.
Now with this significant amount of shell sleuthing under my belt, it’s all I can think of when envisioning summer outfits. Imagine an airy, floorlength slipdress, with a chunky shell choker at the neck or XL bedazzled shells on the lobes. le sigh
In case you, too, would like to dream of balmier days ahead, I’ve curated a WWGW-inspired collection of seaside treasures from across the net.
Clockwise from top right:
MAZ Conch Shell w Cultured Pearls set in 14k Gold ($1,499)
Sherry de Pee Resin Scallop drop earrings ($29)
Pearl-drop Yellow Shells ($50)
Kenneth J Lane Coral Resin Shell earrings ($75)
Ledo Polcini Mid Century Nautilus pin & earrings ($100)
MAZ Emerald, Ruby & Sapphire Turbo Shells ($2,350)
Judith Ripka Mother of Pearl Nautilus earrings ($95)
Faux Pearl Conch Shell earrings, turquoise & crystal detail ($99)
Trifari Seashell & Aqua Rhinestone earrings ($295)
Middle: Sea Clam chain necklace ($99)
I’m not sure what it is about this style that has me so swept up, but I’m leaning in!
until next week!
xo, Georgia