The Nantucket lightship basket is instantly recognizable as a symbol of the Massachusetts island, and Seaman Schepps honors this history with a new mini collection that brings the beloved shape into fine jewelry.
The lightship basket–inspired Sconset collection—a necklace, two styles of earrings, and a cuff bracelet—became available at Seaman Schepps stores in New York City, Palm Beach, and Nantucket on Nov. 1. The pieces are made of 18k gold and stamped with the Seaman Schepps hallmark.
Seaman Schepps owner Anthony Hopenhajm says the lightship basket is the ideal subject for a jewelry collection. On Nantucket, the basket as either a vessel or a fashion piece—think as a carryall or purse—is the ultimate status symbol, according to Hopenhajm.
“Using one speaks volumes about who you are. If you know, you know,” he says. “If you don’t know, don’t bother coming on the island. You have to use the Nantucket basket.”
The basket dates back to the early 1800s when Nantucket sailors made these useful objects to fill their time and show affection for and share their craftsmanship with folks back on the island. As time passed, people and businesses started making the baskets commercially, and they became popular to display at home or sell in a store.
“When those fishermen went out, they were going for whales. They’d be gone for a month or two at a time, sometimes longer. Their wives and families never knew if they were coming back or when,” Hopenhajm says. “When they were out to sea, they were able to get the reeds they used in the baskets. And because they had nothing else to do until they saw a whale, they’d start weaving.
“The basket was a gift of love for someone when you came home,” Hopenhajm adds. “It would be an engagement gift or something to mark a special occasion. Often there would be carvings on top, like someone’s initials.”
As Nantucket moved from a whaling community to a tourist destination, visitors started purchasing the Nantucket lightship basket as a memento. Seaman Schepps has adapted that nostalgic feeling—and the baskets’ weave—for its Sconset jewelry, says Hopenhajm.
“It looks like very fine wires, and that is done with a special machine we purchased to make it,” he says. “If you look at a Nantucket basket, they’re made the same way. If you hold them up, you can look right through them. It looks like lace. You can’t do this jewelry in lost wax casting because you’ll lose the detail. If you polish it, you’ll lose the feeling of straw and the texture.”
Top: Sconset drop earrings, $8,750 (photos courtesy of Seaman Schepps)
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