Tony Bennett sang about leaving his heart there. It has an iconic bright orange suspension bridge that is recognized around the world. Sweeping vistas, cable cars, delectable chocolate, and rollercoaster-like hills are all part of its irresistible charm. It even has a famous frequent visitor beloved, and sometimes lamented, by its residents: Karl—the fog. This jewel of the California coast, San Francisco, is one of the most visited cities, and, over many decades, some of the most renowned, creative, and innovative jewelers have made their mark in “The City.” We’ve chosen a few of these “gems” to highlight their sparkling contributions to the ever-fascinating world of jewelry.
There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills!
We’re all familiar with this phrase from Mark Twain’s 1892 novel The American Claimant, which is a corrupted version of the Georgia assayer D. Matthew Flemming Stephenson’s proclamation that, “There’s millions in it.” In his effort to prevent fortune hunters from leaving Georgia and heading to California, he declared that there were millions of dollars of gold in the Georgian hills. His efforts failed. There was a rush to California and not just by those hoping to make their fortune by prospecting.
SHREVE & CO.
HISTORY
During the Gold Rush era, over 300,000 people from all over the world people headed to California, including George C. Shreve (trained as a goldsmith by Benjamin Shreve, his half-brother and co-founder of Shreve, Crump & Low in Boston) and his nephew Samuel. In 1852, on a quest to give those newly flushed with Gold Rush wealth a good reason to spend their money, they opened the Shreve Jewelry Company at Montgomery and Clay, selling sterling silver objects, jewelry, fine watches, and fancy European items.
In 1894, George’s son inherited the business. He and his new partner, Albert Lewis, gave the business its current name, Shreve and Company. In 1906, the firm relocated to a new, earthquake-proof building on Post and Grant, and, when in the following month the great earthquake (and the ensuing fire) struck, quick-thinking employees put most of the jewelry in the new fireproof vault.
After the quake, the Shreve building was one of the few left standing. Although it took a full three weeks for the vault to cool down, when it was finally opened, the jewelry was intact and unharmed. How fortuitous! Shreve and Company temporarily relocated to Oakland for two years while the interior of the building was restored.
Throughout its existence, Shreve has consistently offered jewelry with a beauty and timelessness that defies trends. In addition to its exquisite silver products, tableware, and other high-quality luxury goods, Shreve also sells fine timepieces. Representing Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe since 1887, Shreve partnered with the company in 1935, to produce the innovative, and now iconic, Calatrava watch. Shreve continues to provide a curated collection of luxury timepieces.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Shreve & Co. has the distinction of having created many special commissions and collectible pieces that are now part of permanent exhibits and private collections. These include:
- The silver spade used by President William Howard Taft to turn the first shovelful of dirt for the Panama Pacific International Exhibition held in San Francisco in 1915, which is housed at the California Historical Society.
- The complete set of Shreve’s Iris pattern silver is on display at San Francisco’s de Young Museum.
With a special talent for elevating humble creatures to works of art, two of Shreve’s notable special commissions include:
- A 10-inch gold teddy bear commissioned as a gift by the citizens of San Francisco for President Teddy Roosevelt.
- A life-sized 18K solid gold rooster.
SHREVE & CO. TODAY
Shreve & Co. has the distinction of being the oldest retail jeweler in the state of California. Its collection of fine contemporary jewelry and watches, along with its history and excellent customer service, make it a destination spot for jewelry lovers. Today, Shreve & Co.’s sole location is in Palo Alto, California
Go West, young man—but stop in Japan first!
MARSH & CO.
HISTORY
Australian-born George Turner Marsh was 15 years old when his family decided to immigrate to the United States. En route, the family made a stop in Japan. Enthralled by the country and its culture, George persuaded his family to let him stay in Yokohama (he was not only persuasive but bold and brave). His father agreed and secured work for him at a tea import/export firm.
In 1867, George joined his family in San Francisco. Bringing with him an extensive Japanese art collection, plus lots of experience and enthusiasm, he opened one of the first Asian art galleries in the United States: the G.T. Marsh & Company: Japanese Art Repository, showcasing art, antiques, and textiles. Because of the large Asian immigrant population at the time, the gallery was highly successful and Marsh was delighted to beautifully present objects from the culture that so captivated him to his clientele. Marsh also opened stores in other California locations, including Santa Barbara, Monterey, Coronado, and Los Angeles.
In the 1930s, while still specializing in Asian antiques and art, the company began creating its own highly distinctive and unique style of jewelry. The metal of choice was oxidized steel set—in striking contrast—with traditional Asian gems such as pearl, coral, and jade.
An unusual metal for jewelry use to be sure, and Marsh’s Italian jeweler made the most of it. Intrigued by shotguns, he had an interest in the treatment that kept them from rusting, specifically bluing, which used solutions of chemical compounds to create a protective layer. The jeweler first sandblasted the piece before proceeding with the bluing process, creating a rich velvety matte finish that makes Marsh pieces—though unsigned—easily distinguished.
POINTS OF INTEREST
- George Marsh would sometimes include notes with jewelry purchases, sharing with his clients the Asian-inspired myth or story behind its creation.
- Marsh designed a “Japanese Village” Exhibition for the 1894 Mid-Winter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park. When the Exposition ended, Japanese landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara was allowed to create a permanent Japanese-style garden for which he became the caretaker. Having considerable wealth, Hagiwara put everything that he had—his money, time, talent, and passion—into maintaining the breathtaking oasis, known as the Japanese Tea Garden, which exists to this day.
MARSH & CO. TODAY
After 125 years of business, Marsh & Co., a San Francisco-based third-generation family-owned business, closed its doors in 2001. Their pieces remain highly collectible, especially those dating from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Gorgeous jewels, trademarks, and—baseball!
GRANAT BROS.
HISTORY
Although European immigrant brothers Joseph and Leo Granat missed the glory days of the California Gold Rush, they created their own good fortune in the form of jewelry manufacturing, repair, and retail establishments.
The success of their first retail store, which opened in 1905 in Stockton, CA, led the brothers to expand. Their flagship store opened circa 1922 on the corner of Grant and Geary in San Francisco, and in 1927 they built a combination retail outlet and manufacturing workshop at the corner of Mission and 20th streets.
Even amid the Great Depression, Granat Bros. was hiring goldsmiths and jewelers and the response was significant. With over 800 applicants, the ones who were chosen were put to work at the 20th and Mission St. location. Many of the old goldsmiths in the Bay Area could say that they got their start with Granat Bros.
Although the company also produced, among other items, lockets, brooches, bracelets, necklaces, pins, flatware, and silver service pieces, its specialty was wedding and engagement rings, and it claimed to have the “Largest selection of diamond rings in all of Western America.” Many of Granat’s intriguing and distinctive designs, including the Wed-Lock interlocking wedding set, were trademarked.
By 1961, Granat had nine retail outlets and distributed their offerings through thousands of retailers across the country. In August 1961, Granat sold the retail business to Zales Jewelers and the manufacturing side to another entity.
POINTS OF INTEREST
- During the 1950s-60s, Granat Bros. won the Diamond International Award for Excellence for eight consecutive years.
- Granat Bros. were the proud sponsors of the winning Granat Bros. Jewelers San Francisco Mid-Winter League semipro baseball team, proving that they excelled with all kinds of ‘diamonds.’
GRANAT BROTHERS TODAY
Granat’s dies were used to produce their designs well into the 1980s, but these later items were not signed with the distinctive Granat trademark. If you have, or find a signed Granat piece, it is a collectible part of San Francisco jewelry history!
Poetry in Metal
VAN CRAEYNEST
HISTORY
According to the Van Craeynest website, “Brilliance in all artistic endeavors springs from the knowledge of line, form, and composition as well as a solid command of the tools and techniques used in working the medium.” In other words, “Van Craeynest creates poetry in metal.”
During the 1920s at the ripe old age of 13, Roger J. Van Craeynest began an apprenticeship at Shreve & Company on Union Square under the tutelage of European master craftsmen from whom he learned the arts of die-striking, engraving, and design. In 1926 he founded Van Craeynest, located at 657 Mission Street.
Jewelers in the Van Craeynest Workshop Using Die-Striking (Left) and Piercing (Right) Techniques.
A key aspect of his venture was continuing the practice of European-style apprenticeship in which all aspiring artisans are trained in traditional manufacturing techniques used during the Victorian era such as die striking (die-struck construction significantly increases the strength of the metal), chasing, and piercing, to ensure they did not become lost arts. These methods are the foundation of every piece of Van Craeynest jewelry. His son Larry Van Craeynest continued this legacy when he joined the company in 1960.
POINTS OF INTEREST
- Van Craeynest produces only handcrafted—from start to finish—die-struck jewelry using many of the original tooling and machines that date back to the late 19th century.
- Now owned by Emerson Fine Jewelry, Van Craeynest is one of the very few jewelry brands that preserves the art of die striking and is the only remaining jeweler who produces die-struck Art Deco-style and Victorian-style jewelry.
VAN CRAEYNEST TODAY
In 2011, the Emerson family acquired Van Craeynest and, with the aid of a 100-year-old elevator and all sorts of special equipment, the original store on 657 Mission Street—along with its historical dies, tools, and machinery—was relocated to its current downtown location in Redlands, CA. There, it still functions as both a workshop and a “living museum.”
Committed to the legacy of this historic San Francisco jewelry manufacturer, Master Jeweler Paul Emerson III (who apprenticed under Larry Van Craeynest), along with the highly talented jewelers of the Van Craeynest workshop, continues to create exquisite works of art using the same venerable methods that Roger J. Van Craeynest devoted his life to preserving.
Every piece of jewelry is a testament to the power of imagination and the artistry of the human hand. – Stephen Webster
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Shreve & Co. Edwardian Natural Pearl and Diamond Lavaliere
The enduring elegance of the Edwardian era and aesthetic takes the form of an exquisite wreath in this lovely lavaliere pendant. Laurel leaves, shining with bri…
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Art Deco .75 Carat Diamond Engagement Ring by Belais for Granat Brothers
Presentation is everything, and the gloriously sparkling .74-carat European cut diamond in this breathtaking Art Deco ring could not have a better one. The scin…
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Marsh & Co. Blackened Steel Pearl and Diamond Leaf Brooch
Sleek, chic, unique mid-century modern minimalism. This leaf has its own season. From the renowned San Francisco-based jeweler of days gone by--Marsh & Co.-…
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