Listen and Learn
How do you build a business in a very competitive, very personal consumer space that stands the test of time? Ashley Berman, the brilliant designer and owner of Ashley Morgan Designs joins us to share all of this. Her stunning and unique pieces, inspired from her clients’ stories, traditions and cultures, will give you just the motivation you need to just go out and do what you love and make it happen! You are going to love this episode and I can’t wait for you to hear it. Now on the #TheKaraGoldinShow.
"Sustainability, where you can, is always an important resource to go to first… This earth gives us such precious resources, and it's nice to maintain and take care of the earth as well for your children and children to come." —Ashley Berman
The most meaningful jewelry isn't bought, it's reborn. It carries stories, fingerprints, and memories that outshine anything new. In a world chasing trends, there's power in slowing down, honoring what already exists, and turning what once sat in a drawer into something extraordinary.
For jewelry designer Ashley Berman, the pandemic reshaped everything. When store shelves closed, she opened a new chapter, helping clients transform heirlooms into modern pieces that carry legacy and beauty in equal measure. Today, through Ashley Morgan Designs, she champions beauty built on story, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
In this episode, Justine and Ashley unpack how to build a sustainable jewelry collection, what to ask before buying or recycling gold and stones, and the truth behind lab-grown versus mined diamonds, plus a look into her Holiday Market that celebrates local makers and meaningful design.
ABOUT
Jewelry should tell a story.
At Ashley Morgan Designs, we believe the most meaningful jewelry is deeply personal. From our private atelier in Ross, California, we create one-of-a-kind fine jewelry that reflects individual style, important moments, family history, and the stories our clients want to carry forward.
Founded by designer and trained goldsmith Ashley Berman, Ashley Morgan Designs is known for bespoke fine jewelry, heirloom redesign, and transforming inherited diamonds and gemstones into modern pieces designed for the next generation.
For more than 20 years, Ashley has worked intimately with clients to create jewelry that feels unmistakably their own.
A Goldsmith's Approach
Trained as a goldsmith at San Francisco's Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, Ashley brings an understanding of traditional jewelry craftsmanship together with an artistic, storytelling-driven approach to design.
Her inspiration comes from many places—nature, architecture, culture, symbolism, travel, and, most importantly, the people and stories behind each piece.
Every custom project is a collaboration. Clients work closely with Ashley through each stage of the process, from the first conversation and stone selection to sketches, CAD development, and final craftsmanship.
The result is jewelry that carries meaning far beyond adornment.
Heirlooms, Reimagined
Heirloom redesign has become one of the most meaningful parts of Ashley's work.
A grandmother's diamond. A mother's engagement ring. An inherited gemstone. A collection of family jewelry that holds tremendous meaning but no longer feels wearable.
Ashley specializes in thoughtfully reimagining these pieces—transforming inherited diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals into modern fine jewelry while honoring the history they carry.
Sometimes one treasured stone becomes the center of a new design. Other times, several pieces from different generations are brought together into a single necklace, ring, bracelet, or pair of earrings.
The intention is never simply to remake old jewelry. It is to preserve what matters and create something that feels relevant, personal, and beautiful enough to be worn now—and eventually passed on again.
The Atelier
The Ashley Morgan atelier experience is intentionally warm, intimate, and collaborative.
Some clients arrive knowing exactly what they want. Others bring a jewelry box filled with inherited pieces and aren't sure where to begin. Ashley helps uncover the possibilities, combining a client's personal history with thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship to create something entirely individual.
Alongside bespoke commissions and heirloom redesign, Ashley creates singular atelier pieces—one-of-a-kind designs made with exceptional diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals. Each carries the same artistry, symbolism, and attention to detail as the atelier's custom work and is available for immediate acquisition.
The atelier also offers a carefully curated collection of foundational fine jewelry selected by Ashley from a small group of trusted artisan partners. These timeless pieces are chosen to complement Ashley Morgan's bespoke and one-of-a-kind collections and to become the layers clients live in every day.
Visit Ashley Morgan
Located in the heart of Ross in Marin County, California, Ashley Morgan Designs welcomes clients by appointment for bespoke fine jewelry, heirloom redesign, custom engagement rings, and private jewelry consultations.
Whether beginning with a remarkable stone, an idea, or a family heirloom, every Ashley Morgan piece begins the same way: with a story.
