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Eugene
Jewelry
1952-62
Eugene
(Gene) Schultz
New York City |
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Eugene Jewelry was the creation
of a talented man named Eugene (Gene) Schultz.
According to Barbara Schultz Byers, his niece, Eugene was, "six feet one
inch tall with dark wavy hair, piercing blue eyes and a magnetic smile. When I worked at Macy’s during college in the mid-1950’s",
she said, "Uncle
Gene would pick me up to take me to dinner. All the women I worked with wanted
to know who the movie star was. He was so handsome, and
impeccably dressed, with his camel hair coat, scarf, and hat. You couldn’t help
but look at him".
Eugene was born in the United States because his father, August
Schultz, had migrated to New York City before World War I. August was a
Doctor of Chemistry working for Bayer aspirin and he and his wife had two sons,
Karl and Eugene. Eugene was born in 1911 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his
brother Karl was born two years later. In 1916, the family moved to Closter, New
Jersey. Eugene’s mother, Elizabeth Duvall Schultz, was one of the first
successful female real estate agents in New Jersey, and Eugene and Karl had a
nanny as well as servants who cared for
them.
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EUGENE
8-strand faceted glass yellow and green beads necklace, 15-1/2" at
the shortest strand, circa 1960. This
necklace was used in an article on vintage jewelry in "In Style Magazine"
in August, 2004
INSTYLE Magazine.
View
View #D23762 |
VINTAGE
display mannequin bust marked "Eugene", circa 1955, 15-1/2" high. I
am not sure this is a piece for Eugene Jewelry, but we sure enjoy it,
regardless.
View
View #a32910 |
EUGENE
crystal and frosted glass beads necklace circa 1960, 4-strands at about
16-1/2". This lovely necklace fastens at the front as shown in the photo.
For more about this wonderful maker, click
HERE.
View
View
View #26766 |
EUGENE red and pink beads
and aurora borealis faceted glass beads necklace with fancy clasp of beads
and gold tone, circa 1955, 15". View
#E34477 |
EUGENE necklace and earrings with faceted crystal beads in gray, blue,
green and red and marquis rhinestones in gray, blue and green, all in a
japanned settings. The necklace is 15-1/3" wearable length and the clip back
earrings are 1-1/4". Every piece is marked "Eugene" on the back and the set
is in excellent condition. If you want to read more about this designer, we
have a feature about him
HERE.
View
View #X39147 |
EUGENE
red, pink and aurora faceted glass beads wrap-over bracelet with
artificial pearls and rhinestone clasp.
View #D20018 |
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Eugene coil bracelet of red, pink and gray faceted
crystal beads with clear rhinestone roundels.
View
View |
EUGENE red, gray
and pink crystal faceted beads in a 14-17 inch necklace, coil bracelet and
1-1/8 inch earrings with terrific color and clear rhinestone roundel
spacers. View
View #D18299 |
Eugene 1-1/8" earrings of red, pink and gray faceted
crystal beads. View
View |
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EUGENE pretty in pink 2.5 inch pin with pink marquis
rhinestones, faux pearls, and crystals. Very 3-dimensional. #D11000
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EUGENE
pink and purple beads and rhinestones earrings.
View #D13186
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EUGENE leaf shaped earrings with a cluster of lovely faceted glass
amber and topaz colored beads in the center and lined around the edges with
caramel colored rose montee rhinestones, all on a gold plated setting.
Made in the 1950s, these are
View
View
View #E42462
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His family says that Eugene graduated from Parsons School of Design and
worked as a costumer for Broadway shows in the late 1920s-early 1930s. In the
mid to late 1930s, Eugene worked for Cartier hand painting Christmas cards.
He worked with Anne Hornik Casey, another talented family member and the sister
of Eugene’s sister-in law, Marion Hornik Schultz. Anne herself had worked as a seamstress and designer for Miss Christine,
a famous designer/milliner of the 20’s and 30’s, and made the wedding trousseau
for the Vanderbilt girls.
During WWII Eugene served in the Army in a non-combat position and was stationed
in Hawaii. (His family says that after the war he went to work for Miriam
Haskell Jewelry in some capacity, although so far there is no record at Haskell
Jewelry
or from those who worked there during that time there to show this to be true.)
In 1952 he started his own company, Eugene Jewelry,
with a showroom on Madison Avenue. Eugene Jewelry was sold at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf
Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, Neiman Marcus in Dallas and
finer stores in Boston. At the height of the business he had about fifteen people working for him.
All his pieces were his own designs and hand made by his company. He never
sub-contracted pieces.
Says his nephew Eugene, "I remember Uncle Gene coming to visit on holidays,
sometimes bringing Henry Howard, the producer of the Perry Como show, for which
he also made jewelry. Making
‘junk jewelry’ as it was called in New York City in those days was not
impressive to my simple family and myself as a young teen. He got
the job on the Perry Como show through Joe Lipman, who was Perry’s musical
arranger. Joe lived in the same building as Karl and Marion in Washington
Heights."
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EUGENE bracelet made like a belt, with snap-over buckle
closure. |
EUGENE two
tone green and white opaque glass bead three-strand necklace, four strand
bracelet and crescent shaped earrings with rhinestone accents.
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View #D21508 |
Eugene crescent earrings. |
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EUGENE demi-parure in orange aurora
borealis faceted glass beads with rhinestones and rose montee on the clasps and
earrings, all set in gold tone. These are brilliant gorgeous colors that flash
with light. The necklace is 15-1/2" wearable length, the bracelet is 8" by about
1-1/3", and the clip back earrings are 1" clip backs.
View
View
View #X37457 |
EUGENE green
glass seed beads and rhinestones brooch and earrings.
View #D19211
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EUGENE orange, tangerine and
yellow faceted glass beads necklace with citrus colors and a rhinestone
clasp and earrings with gold tone fittings, 6 strands, circa 1960,
wearable length 16", clip back earrings 7/8". Eugene used beads of a
wonderful quality, and they shimmer brilliantly and are really
reflective. View
View #X37247 |
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EUGENE green swirl
faceted glass bead three-strand 16" necklace and 1-1/8" earrings.
View #D28385 |
EUGENE artificial pearl, pink
and gray faceted glass beads 8-strand necklace, 7" bracelet and 1"
earrings. View
View
View
View #D26788 |
EUGENE
avocado green beads 4-strand 15-17" necklace and earrings.
#D26789 |
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Nancy
Strausbaugh Knaub
said to me, "While browsing on the internet, I was surprised to come across
your webpage with article about EUGENE jewelry. My cousin was Henry
Howard, who produced the Perry Como Show. I used to spend a few
weeks each summer in New York with my Aunt Mayme, who was Harry’s mother.
Harry would take me to the Perry Como set, where I first met Eugene. My
impression of Eugene was ‘Wow, he is so handsome’. I was about 14 yrs.
old, and I thought he looked like someone from Hollywood! My cousin,
producer Harry (Henry Howard), was also very good looking. What good
memories they are for me."
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A young Eugene with his father. |
Eugene with an unidentified lady. |
Eugene in his 20’s. |
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EUGENE artificial pearl
necklace and earrings with front clasp of green and yellow faceted glass
beads set in gold tone flowers, matching earrings, 4-strand necklace 15"
wearable length, earrings 7/8". Decorated with little gold tone pansy
leaves and stems, it is reminiscent of a Haskell from the same era, circa
1950. |
EUGENE pastel and medium
blue and lavender glass beads and artificial pearls three-strand necklace
and earrings. View
View #D19793
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EUGENE artificial pearl and gold tone chains necklace with coral seed
beads and glass bead clasp, 15-1/2".
View
View #D9540 |
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EUGENE gold tone
scalloped earrings with green and brown crystal beads, 1-1/8".
#D19191 |
EUGENE champagne colored
faceted glass beads three-strand necklace and earrings with artificial pearl
accents. View
View
View #D18298 |
EUGENE artificial pearl and
rhinestones 1″ round earrings.
View #D24878 |
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Mr. Eugene Schultz died on Thanksgiving Day of 1964, about two
years after his company went out of business.
Scott Buyers, Eugene’s great nephew, is a collector of his
great-uncle’s jewelry and history. According to him, Eugene designed some of the
unsigned jewelry from the early days of Miriam Haskell. According to the people
who worked at Haskell, though, Eugene never designed there at all. Whichever is
true,
his jewelry does seem to have been possibly influenced by the work of Frank
Hess.
Says Scott of his uncle, "His wonderful jewelry will always keep his name
alive".
The Eugene yellow and green crystal bead necklace #D23762, shown in the first
row above,
was featured in the August 2004 issue of InStyle
Magazine and on the "Today" show.
Many thanks to his
nephew, also named Eugene, his niece Barbara Schultz Byers and his great-nephew Scott
Byers who were kind enough share this information about Mr. Eugene Schultz of Eugene Jewelry.
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EUGENE brown faceted crystal
beads with clear accents earrings, 1-1/8". #D17432 |
EUGENE round brooch and earrings with white seed
beads and gold tone leaves and flowers, brooch 1-1/2" earrings 3/4".
It is interesting that these components can also be seen in Jonne jewelry,
which has no relationship to Eugene that I am aware of.
View #D61659 |
EUGENE white
glass seed bead and clear rhinestones set in silver tone wing-shaped
earrings. View
Courtesy of Dan Day |
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EUGENE
artificial pearl and clear rhinestones earrings, 1-1/4".
View #D23956 |
EUGENE artificial pearl, pink
and gray faceted glass beads 8-strand necklace, 7" bracelet and 1"
earrings. View
View
View
View #D26788
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