Bernard K. Passman (22 January 1916 – 10 February 2007) was a sculptor and jeweller, founder of a black coral jewellery company and brand, Passman (currently produced by Glyptica, Inc. under licence). Passman founded the eponymous Passman in 1975 on Grand Cayman. He created

black coral Antipatharians, also known as black corals or thorn corals, are an order of soft deep-water corals. These corals can be recognized by their jet-black or dark brown chitin skeletons, surrounded by the polyps (part of coral that is alive). Antip ...

and gold sculptures for the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, 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 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 Dart Container Corporation of Mason, Michigan, United States, is the world's largest manufacturer of foam cups and containers, producing about as many as all competitors combined. Dart Container is privately held by the Dart family. In May 2012 ...

. 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 Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

, 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 Passman 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