Sylvia Bennett vintage costume jewelry
Sylvia Bennett vintage costume jewelry
American artist Sylvia Bennett (Nov. 5, 1939 – Feb. 29, 2008) created a series of polymer jewelry in the 1980s that later became collectible rarities. These were mainly figurative brooches in the form of Storyland characters, teddy bears, cats, kittens and other animals. Crafted from resin, hand painted and lacquer finished, these brooches were voluminous and made with such attention to detail that they look as alive. In general, all animals in this series have their own, pronounced character.
Traditionally, the designer labeled her pieces “Sylvia Bennett Raven”. Raven was the name of her home studio where the artist worked. Rare brooches with collectible value due to their high quality have been perfectly preserved to this day.
A bright and hardworking student, Sylvia studied art at the University of New Hampshire. Also, her studies included one year in Denmark. She began working as a graphic designer for McCalls in New York City. In 1965, she got married to Richard Merk, and by 1968, they had three children.