Lisa Bayer, Jewelry Illustrator and Sales Specialist, Dies

By Karen Dybis | March 23, 2026

Lisa Bayer, a jewelry designer and sales professional well-known as an artist for her jewelry-related illustrations, died unexpectedly on March 18. She was 64.

Bayer shared her illustrations, many of jewelry and industry players, on her Instagram, SketchNYC. She was also known for designing glass trays; last year, she created a bespoke trinket tray for Penny Preville for the brand’s 50th anniversary.

Bayer had worked as a sales specialist at the Muse boutique in New York since October 2020. The brand’s founder and CEO Jennifer Shanker, tells JCK: “I met Lisa in 1999 on a subway platform, bonding over an evil eye pendant—and that was who she was. She could turn even the smallest moment into a meaningful connection, especially when that connection was based on a beautiful piece of jewelry.

“She brought warmth, intuition, and care to everyone she encountered, and her impact on Muse and our community is immeasurable. Lisa was a creative, one-of-a-kind, bright light who was dearly loved and who will be deeply missed,” says Shanker, who also paid tribute to Bayer on Instagram.

sketchnyc feranndo jorge earrings — *Lisa Bayer’s illustration of Fernando Jorge earrings*

In a 2021 interview with JCK’s Amy Elliott about her illustrations, Bayer said: “I see details in jewelry during my process that others can’t. Light, texture, color, and flaws make something beautiful. I feel like photography can strive to make everything look flawless, but you can lose the natural feeling.

“Illustration has an emotional component that photography does not,” Bayer told JCK. “I mean, it’s very different. I’ve been moved to tears by a photo! But an illustration tells a brand’s story in a way that stops people in their scrolling tracks. It pops out because it’s rare. And when used as an element for a special occasion, it’s the cherry on the sundae.”

Vice Versa Jewelry creative director and designer Sophie Thoerner, who posted an Instagram story remembering Bayer, tells JCK, “Lisa believed in us with her whole heart from the very start, and wore her Vice Versa jewelry every waking second of every day.

“Our No. 1 champion. The best girl to gab with. The chicest woman in the room, with the best laugh, the best style, the best shoes, the best hair, and best heart,” Thoerner says.

Born in New York City on April 17, 1961, Bayer graduated from Northeastern University. She worked at Berry Jewelry for seven years and then was a fine jewelry sales associate at Barneys New York from July 2019 to March 2020, according to her LinkedIn.

Bayer also was a donor and volunteer for nonprofit organizations, including Essay Busters, where Bayer mentored inner-city high school students who were writing college-application essays.

“Lisa was a jewelry designer, and through her work, she expressed a distinctive spirit—thoughtful, artistic, and personal in what she created and shared,” said an online obituary. “Her talent and dedication were part of what made her so special to family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.”

Bayer is survived by her mother, Pamela Schoolman, and her son, Luke Bayer.