Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry

Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry presents
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JEWEL CHAT
Costume Jewelry Magazine

Eugene Jewelry
1952-62
Eugene (Gene) Schultz
New York City

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 as 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 took care of them.

EUGENE pretty in pink 2.5 inch pin with pink marquis rhinestones, faux pearls, and crystals. Very 3-dimensional. #D11000

EUGENE red, pink and aurora faceted glass beads wrap-over bracelet with artificial pearls and rhinestone clasp. View #D20018

EUGENE pink and purple beads and rhinestones earrings. View #D13186

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

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 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 whom 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."

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. View View View View View View View View View View #D21508

Eugene crescent earrings.

EUGENE 8-strand faceted glass yellow and green beads necklace, 15-1/2". View View #D23762

EUGENE crystal and frosted glass beads necklace, 4-strand, 16-1/2". View View View #26766

EUGENE green glass seed beads and rhinestones brooch and earrings. View #D19211

Nancy Strausbaugh Knaub says, "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."

A young Eugene with his father.

Eugene with an unidentified lady.

Eugene in his 20's.

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

EUGENE artificial pearl, pink and gray faceted glass beads 8-strand necklace, 7" bracelet and 1" earrings. View View View View #D26788

EUGENE pastel and medium blue and lavender glass beads and artificial pearls three-strand necklace and earrings. View View #D19793

EUGENE avocado green beads 4-strand 15-17" necklace and 1-1/8" earrings. View View #D26789

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.
Says Scott of his uncle, "His wonderful jewelry will always keep his name alive".

The Eugene yellow and green crystal bead necklace shown 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.

EUGENE white glass seed bead and clear rhinestones set in silver tone wing-shaped earrings. View
Courtesy of Dan Day

EUGENE artificial pearl and gold tone chains necklace with coral seed beads and glass bead clasp, 15-1/2". View View #D9540

EUGENE white glass bead and rose montee earrings. #AHI
Courtesy of Alice Handley-Isaksen

EUGENE artificial pearl and clear rhinestones earrings, 1-1/4". View #D23956

Note: These items were photographed from private collections, and are for reference only. Jewelry that is available for sale can be accessed at the links below.

Jewelry for sale accessible below.