At Home with Mark Schneider
“Color adds another dimension to my creativity,” says jewelry designer Mark Schneider. “A painter has a palette of colors and a jewelry designer has colored gemstones. Designing with color allows a piece to have more dimension.”
A lifelong resident of Long Beach, California, Schneider derives inspiration for his work from his mineral and art collections, both of which provide color accents to his home. Architecture is also a big inspiration, especially designs by Frank Geary. The relaxed Southern California lifestyle is also important to Schneider’s creativity; he often sits and sketches his designs on the back patio of his home, which is enclosed by lush vegetation. Schneider finds that being surrounded by nature encourages his imagination.
Schneider is a third generation jeweler. His father and grandfather before him were both in the wholesale end of the business and his uncles owned retail stores. While Schneider followed their lead into the industry, he is the first one in his family to be a designer.
Schneider’s work is characterized by the simplicity of clean, fluid lines that create designs that are wearable art with a contemporary style. “When I’m working with a design, I make sure that it is beautiful from the sides and the top. I look for a piece to stand alone as a sculpture,” explains Schneider, who has won 29 awards in his career. He has won the De Beers Diamond of Distinction Honors, twice, and the American Gem Trade (AGTA) spectrum Award, nine times. His work is on permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian Gem and Mineral Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Living in a ranch-style house with lots of windows and light, Schneider has filled hi home with clean lines and neutral tones accented by splashes of color. Painting, glass sculptures and mineral specimens all add color to the décor and serve to further inspire Schneider’s designs. “I like modern art,” comments Schneider. “No two people look at a piece of modern art and walk away with the same idea of the picture; it allows you to be more imaginative.”
