Designer Download: Kathryn Bentley

By Chris Frey
April 23, 2010

Kathryn Bentley and her desk in her studio

Adoringly dubbed “Kathryn the Great” by Daily Candy in 2008, jewelry designer Kathryn Bentley has been quietly wowing fashion editors and insiders since she launched her line four years ago. Bentley’s namesake collection, available online and in select boutiques like Steven Alan in New York and Roseark in Los Angeles, is a rare combination of high-end luxury and homespun integrity. “I want to create timeless pieces that can be passed down as heirlooms to the next generation,” she says.

Her Florence and Urn rings, for example, feel like family heirlooms or estate sale treasures, while others, like her Snake Signet necklace or Amulet earrings, feel modern and personal, like pieces that will become family treasures starting with this generation.

When crafting her precious stone and metals pieces, she uses a lost wax technique, an ancient process that involves a cast taken from a sculpture or mold that she also creates. Ths hand-wrought technique allows her to embrace the small, nearly undetectable differences that are a result of hand-crafting each piece. She prefers “stones with inclusions or imperfections. Watermelon tourmaline and opals are two of my favorites…They move and have intense properties.” Ancient symbols and gemstones that represent protection or other spiritual beliefs also play a frequent rold in her pieces. “I love snakes," in particular, she says. "They represent something different for everyone, but I like the idea of eternity.”

Her fine jewelry pieces range from a few hundred dollars up to $8,000. More recently, she launched a diffision line called Dream Collective that embodies the same raw spirit, but is priced from $30 to around $400.

Bentley was born and raised in San Antonio, TX, where her father, an architect, had a major influence on her aesthetic. She graduated with a BFA in Painting from The School of Visual Arts in New York and spent time in her early career working for well-respected New York jewelry showroom Talavera. From there, she honed her skills working closely with the incredibly talented jewelry designers Philip Crangi and Manon Von Gerkan before striking out on her own.

To visit Bentley's home or studio, or to view her Tumblr blog, an inspiration board of images that inspire her, is a glimpse into her world—one that is elegantly and eclectically arranged with primordial forms and objects borrowed from both indigenous cultures and urban life. In studio, sea fans, feathers and flowers mix with industrial lamps, antique African tools and textiles collected during travels abroad, all arranged in a manner that is thoughtful but never precious. Bentley is skilled at creating the kind of space that makes life’s laptop necessities and junk mail sorting a little less of a chore. Of Los Angeles, where she has lived for the past year and a half since moving from New York, she says: “The gentler climate has calmed my senses and allowed a more creative flow.”

Given her affinity for metal work, furniture restoration and textiles, it’s no surprise that Bentley is making the move to interior design, starting with a collaboration with Commune Design on a line of flatwear coming out next fall.

In the meantime, check out some of her most recent designs and the eBay items that reflect her latest inspirations.

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A selection of Bentley's vintage tools
Vintage Anvil (buy it now price, $143.95)
Vintage Zuni Bracelet (buy it now price, $299.99)
Kathryn Bentley Snake Signet Pendant ($850 gold; $165 silver)
Kathryn Bentley Organic Bands ($425-$1875)
Polished Slice Liddicoatite Tourmaline (buy it now price, $1,200)
Kathryn Bentley Eternity Snake Bracelet ($1800)
Japanese Indigo Cotton Textile (winning bid, $35)
Drexel Modern Windsor Chair (starting bid, $90)
Kathryn Bentley Watermelon Tourmaline Ring ($3750)
Kathryn Bentley Scale Armor Bracelet ($2500 small gold; $3000 large gold; $690 silver)
Test Tube and Wood Case (buy it now price, $49.90)
Kathryn Bentley Domed Diamond Ring ($8315)
Rare Vintage Nez Perce Corn Husk Bag (buy it now price, $1,300)
NEST Interior Quarterly Magazine Set of 16 (buy it now price, $595)
Antique French Chemise Shirt Linen Smock Nightdress (buy it now price, $75)