Bernard K. Passman (22 January 1916 – 10 February 2007) was a sculptor and jeweller, founder of a black coral jewellery company and brand,

Passman Passman (also called Passman Jewelry) is a line of black coral jewelry currently produced by Brindle & Fig under license. The brand was created in 1975 by Bernard Passman, sculptor and jeweler, on Grand Cayman. Examples of the company's wor ...

(currently produced by Glyptica, Inc. under licence). Passman founded the eponymous

in 1975 on Grand Cayman. He created black coral and gold sculptures for the White House, the British Royal Family, and various museums. Examples of his work include the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

's gift of a 97-piece set of sterling silver and black coral tableware for

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

and

Lady Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

's wedding in 1981; a black coral horse and corgi dogs for

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 ...

and Prince Philip, and commissions for the Pope and various celebrities. Other well-known works are his ''Can Can Girls'' and his statues of

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

. Passman died in 2007 aged 91. His company was acquired the same year by

-based Active Capital Ltd. This is a private equity firm belonging to the family that founded Dart Container. There were Bernard K. Passman galleries and retail outlets in

Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie ( ), located on St. Thomas, is the capital and the largest city of the United States Virgin Islands. It was founded in 1666 as Taphus (meaning 'beer house' or 'beer hall' in Danish). In 1691, the town was renamed to Charlotte A ...

, George Town, Cayman Islands, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, etc.Mary Herczog, Jordan S. Simon, ''Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Las Vegas'', Frommer's, 2004, p. 16

/ref> In May 2013 the galleries and business faced closure after the CEO of the past owner of Passman, GEM Manufacturing LLC pleaded guilty to illegally importing a batch of black coral. In 2014 the production of the

collection was renewed using sustainably harvested black coral when Glyptica, Inc. under Tchavdar Tchouchev (previously Passman's Director of Design Development), had acquired the licence.

References

External links

Passman Jewelry, current official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Passman, Bernard K. 20th-century American jewellers 1916 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists American male sculptors