Sharon Berman, known within the jewelry industry as a lover of fine jewelry, an advocate for designers, and a passionately knowledgeable podcast host, died on Aug. 16 from cancer, according to her company, Berbay Marketing & PR.

Berman founded Berbay in Los Angeles in June 1995. She provided strategic marketing, communication plan development, and public relations for law, finance, and real estate firms.

Since 2018, Berman had hosted the Jewelry Journey podcast, interviewing designers and others in the fine jewelry trade. A final episode that Berman recorded is due to be released sometime this fall.

Jewelry Journey guests including art jewelry gallerist Lisa Berman honored Berman in tributes posted on social media.

“Sharon was as passionate about collecting vintage and contemporary jewelry as she was about learning from the makers and other collectors. She was always willing to be new, learn more, and ask more questions,” Lisa Berman wrote. “Sharon was a class act—she exuded great style and was a gracious and good friend.”

Sharon Berman had studied for her GIA Graduate Gemologist diploma and was a speaker at the Antique Jewelry & Art Conference, affectionately known as “Jewelry Camp.” She served on the board of Art Jewelry Forum and was a member of the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, American Society of Jewelry Historians, and Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG).

Berman graduated from UCLA in 1978 and received her MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business. Her early career included positions as marketing manager at Arthur Andersen, where she developed programs to build the firm’s brand in Southern California, and as national marketing director, supporting five offices, for Houlihan Lokey investment bankers.

She had also held marketing jobs at Valley Presbyterian Hospital and Mattel—“the house that Barbie built,” as Berman called it, according to Berbay’s online tribute.

“One of our favorite stories is how Berbay got its name,” said the company statement. “Berbay was a love story. It derived from the nickname Berman Baby, which her husband called her. She would follow up with ‘But that’s not how I would recommend anyone name their firm!’

“Beyond the name, Sharon built a successful marketing and public relations agency known for expertise, creativity, and professionalism—a testament to who she was as a business owner and leader,” the company wrote. She created a podcast called Law Firm Marketing Catalyst in 2018 that continued through 2023.

Berman used to give “branding in a box” presentations to teach people how to market a professional service and loved to share cookies during those sessions, Berbay stated. Its tribute also mentioned the memorable holiday cards Berman would send.

Berbay is now operated by Megan Braverman, a longtime employee and friend of Berman’s. Her friends and coworkers ask that memorial donations be made to the Simms Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, where Berman was treated.

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