Mark Schneider

Mark Schneider (????- ) Mark Schneider is one of a few living designers to have a piece of jewelry on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution Gem and Mineral Hall. His creation boasts a beautiful 12.11ct tanzanite gemstone set in a platinum and diamond ring. The fancy-cut triangular tanzanite gem has a deep sapphire-blue color with highlights of intense violet. The ring is the first piece of tanzanite jewelry added to the National Gem Collection.

Schneider is one of the most recognized American designers of our time. He is a third-generation jeweler whose love for jewelry and colored stones began in grade school as he amassed a large, vibrant gemstone collection.

The affinity for jewelry runs deep in the Schneider family. Mark’s grandfather, artisan Simon Schneider, emigrated from Russia to Los Angeles in the 1920s. When he arrived, Simon had nothing but a collection of handmade cigarette cases to his name. After only a few months, he opened a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles that began the Schneider’s jewelry legacy.

Simon’s sons Max and Irving followed in their father’s footsteps and, in the 1930’s, opened jewelry stores in Long Beach. In 1945, their youngest brother Dave, Mark’s father, opened his own wholesale jewelry business in the historic Insurance Exchange Building in downtown Long Beach. In 1961, Dave expanded his operation and built a free standing two-story brick building blocks away from the original location where Schneider Design is still located today.

The Schneiders found success as wholesale jewelers. Their largest account was Montgomery Ward. In 1982, Dave turned the business over to his son and Mark decided to take the business in a different direction. He moved the company from a mass manufacturer to a design studio.

Mark quickly gained popularity for cutting edge designs he created in the 80’s. He entered and won his first design competition in 1991. Since then, Mark has been recognized internationally as an award winning designer more than forty times.

In 2001, Mark began to specialize in engagement rings with an emphasis on fresh and contemporary lines of engagement rings that broke from traditional designs. As in his award winning colored gemstone jewelry designs, his engagement rings are clean and flowing with nods toward architecture, furniture design, and nature. Mark places importance on form and function, plus how a design looks from all angles, and how it looks on the hand. His rings, that are often called, ‘works of art,’ are made to be handed down through generations.

Mark is directly involved in every part of the process from conception to the final touches that make his creations unique and distinguishable. It’s a commitment that encourages museums and people from all over the country to work with Mark on custom designs.

His clients recognize the value of his jewelry and often collect his work. Many are return customers who look for the next custom art piece to add to their Mark Schneider collection. He is the jeweler’s jeweler, having designed many custom pieces for jewelers and their spouses.

Every diamond engagement ring is handmade in Long Beach, California and a piece of wearable art. Each bridal design is fully customizable and features an exclusive ‘Secret Heart’ with a diamond that can be engraved.

Mark’s reputation is so favorable that long lists of individuals who seek his expertise await him when he travels to re-design events he attends for a handful of jewelry stores around the country. He sits down for about an hour with each guest and designs a piece of jewelry after which the completion takes approximately four to six weeks.

From his bold color pieces to his unique bridal designs, Mark Schneider pushes conventional ideas of jewelry design. He blends elegant architecture lines with timeless romance. His bridal elegance and unique one-of-a-kind gems are sculpted by Tom Munsteiner and John Dyer.

Schneider’s distinct perspective on jewelry making has earned some of the most coveted awards and honors for him.

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