San Francisco socialite and Burning Man festival supporter ‘had been dead in apartment for weeks’

Amber Bently found in Nevada apartment by official posting eviction notice
Jewellery designer was estranged from husband and living alone
Sheriff’s office waiting for toxicology reports on 34-year-old

By Jessica Jerreat Daily Mail PUBLISHED: 25 July 2013

The body of a creative socialite, known for her eye-catching jewellery and eccentric outfits, has been discovered in her Nevada apartment several weeks after she died.

Amber Bently’s body was found on Friday after an official, who had arrived at the apartment building to serve an eviction notice, raised the alarm.

The 34-year-old estranged wife of property businessman Christopher Bently, had not been reported missing, but the sheriff’s office said there was no evidence of foul play.

Loss: Amber Bently with her husband Christopher. The socialite was living alone at the time of her death

A cause of death has not yet been determined and the results of a toxicology test could take up to eight weeks to arrive.

Douglas County Sheriff’s office said Mrs Bently had been living alone in the apartment where her body was found in Gardnerville, outside Carson City.

Mrs Bently, who had separated from her husband last year after being married for about ten years, was well known for her parties and the couple’s building renovations in San Francisco.

The couple, who supported environmental charities, also supported the Burning Man arts festival, which is held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, near Reno.

After they separated last year Mrs Bently swapped their Nob Hill penthouse and Stinson Beach home for a place in Sausalito before moving to an apartment in Gardnerville, where she had been raised, according to SF Gate.

Mr Bently, who is currently in London, said they had not divorced and described his wife as ‘a wonderful human being who contributed so much to San Francisco’.

He added: ‘She was greatly loved by family and friends, and we feel her loss deeply.’

She helped him run Bently Holdings, a property management company with offices in Minden, Nevada, and San Francisco..

Mr Bently also runs several companies founded by his late father, Donald Bently, an engineer, philanthropist and businessman who died in October at the age of 87.

The couple first joined the San Francisco social scene in the mid-2000s, and were known as much for their eccentric outfits as their backing of environmental groups.

Vibrant: Friends of Amber Bently. a jewellery designer, described her as outgoing and creative

Designer: Amber Bently, at Kamalaspa in San Francisco, was known for her creativity

As well as eye-catching accessories that she designed, Ms Bently was known for her elaborate outfits, including a dress lit by LEDs, which she wore to the San Francisco Opera Gala in 2010.

About four years ago, they featured as the ‘new kids on the block’ on the San Francisco Social Diary website, after throwing a pajama party at their Nob Hill penthouse.

They loved the Burning Man atmosphere so much that they felt a pajama party was the best way to introduce their festival and city friends for their house warming.

At the time, Social Diary reported: ‘This artsy crowd lived up to expectations, no two dressed alike. PJs covered the gamut from Brooks Brothers and flannels to oriental robes and black negligees … On the way home, I thought it was hilarious seeing guests trotting around Nob Hill in their jammies.’

In September 2007, they flew Tippi Hedren to San Francisco for a sale of Mrs Bently’s hand-crafted jewellery. A portion of the sale money was then donated to the actress’s Roar Foundation.

The designer created the gold pieces, inset with crystals and stones, in the basement of their Nob Hill home.

She told SF Luxe in 2007 that her interest in design had come about after she made bead necklaces with her husband to wear at the Burning Man festival.

‘We kept going back to the bead store, and I kept making jewellery. And finally I’m like “I’ve got to start selling these because I have too much,’ she said.

Revamp: The couple renovated San Francisco’s old Federal Reserve Building and renamed it Bently Reserve

Mrs Bently added that she was drawn to the healing properties of rocks, adding: ‘I wear a lot of rubies because I feel in balancing the chakras you are more creative and you are more open to a creative outlook.’

Her one-off jewellery pieces, which she sold in stores and at charity functions in San Francisco, reached prices of between $500 to $6,500, according to Heavy.com.

Mrs Bently, whose jewellery was also exhibited at the de Young Museum in San Francisco in 2009, helped her husband restore the former Federal Reserve Bank in downtown San Francisco and renamed it the Bently Reserve.

As well as environmental charities, Mrs Bently supported the Dress for Success program that helps provide women with suitable outfits to wear for job interviews in 2008, according to the San Francisco Sentinel.

The couple were also fans of the Burning Man festival, and Mr Bently served on the advisory board of the Black Rock Arts Foundation as well as the Burning Man Project.

Sociable: Chris and Amber Bently were fans of the Burning Man festival, below

Tomas McCabe, executive director of Black Rock Arts Foundation, said foundation members were devastated to hear of Mrs Bently’s death.

‘She was a super, outgoing, very creative person. She was always joyful. She made amazing jewelry,’ he said.

The couple’s love of art and spirituality led them on several trips to India, Indonesia and Thailand. After returning from one trip, where she learned about the Ayurveda healing practices, Mrs Bently opened a spa in the city.

A man who answered the phone at her husband’s firm, Bently Holdings, said the company would have no comment.