About Me
Beth Bernstein is a jewelry historian, jewelry expert and collector of period and modern jewels—a purveyor of all things sparkly. She has a romance going on with the legend, language and sentiment behind the pieces. Her love for the story has inspired Beth to pen four books, with a fifth one in the works, and to spend the past twenty years as an editor and writer on the subject of jewels-old and new. She is a die-hard jewelry fan, so much so that she has designed her own collection throughout the 90s and continues to create bespoke jewels and work with private clients to procure antique and vintage jewelry
She owns a comprehensive consulting agency Plan B which provides a roster of services in multiple facets of the jewelry industry. These include building, launching and evolving designer brands and retail brick & mortar/online shops and curating designer shows and private collections.
Her areas of specialty include:
WRITING
- A Skilled writer/editor, she freelances for consumer and trade magazines with experience in both print and online publications including including Forbes online, Jewelry Connoisseur, Four Seasons Magazine, thejewelleryeditor.com, Rapaport Magazine, Accent, Forum, Departures, Elite Traveler, Huffington Post, and was Senior Editor for two national jewelry magazines
Her five books include:
Jewelry’s Shining Stars: The Next Generation (ACC Artbooks, 2024) brings together 45 independent women designers who have liberated the way we view jewelry. Hailing from around the globe, they are at different stages of their careers, yet all are influential in crossing the boundaries of art, function and wearability. This compilation of formidable women create jewelry as a form of adornment; but even more enthusiastically, as a means to empower the wearer with their designs. Whether they work with their own hands, challenging themselves at the bench, or have chosen artisans to bring their visions to life, they are all innovators in their own right and are helping to form the taste, styles and standards of the self-purchaser. With boldness and presence in their work, and a reverence for iconic role models and quality and techniques, these 45 talents are creating today’s collectibles and shaping jewelry’s future.
The Modern Guide To Antique Jewellery (ACC Artbooks, 2022) The ultimate go-to guide which takes the reader on a tour through time, venturing from the 1700s all the way through to the early 20th century and includes how to spot and score the best pieces to how to look chic and contemporary while wearing pieces that date back 200 years. Fun factual tidbits are presented in a witty, conversational style, and lively narratives explore each piece’s history. Part travelogue, featuring the most influential shops in New York, LA, London, Paris and Amsterdam; part educational guide, with anecdotes from dealers and experts; and part celebration of historical jewelry, this book is an invaluable and accessible reference.
If These Jewels Could Talk: The Legends behind Celebrity Gems (ACC Art Books, 2015) – A historical/coffee table style book which provides an inside peek into the legends as well as heartfelt narratives and humorous anecdotes behind the famous jewels Hollywood royalty ,style icons and jewelers of the 20th-21st Century. Michel Aliaga Associate Director of Cartier Paris says, “The book is aspirational and magical. I’m sure it will be beyond the expectations of the aficionados of jewels and glamour!”
My Charmed Life: Rocky Romances, Precious Family Connections And Searching For A Band of Gold (Penguin, 2012)—A memoir which links her life, losses, family, and loves with her most significant pieces of jewelry.
Jewelry’ Shining Stars: Shaping Today’s Collectibles and Tomorrow’s Heirlooms (Fine Points Publishing, 2013)—A coffee table book, featuring 38 talent’s shaping jewelry’s future, with a foreword by Stephen Webster.
Beth possesses multifaceted capabilities, an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to conceptualize, launch and successfully take projects from beginning to end. She has built and continues to maintain strong relationships with designers, retailers, press offices and industry professionals and her many clients. She is revered in her field for her experience and knowledge and for her exuberance and sheer joy in the way she approaches each aspect of her career.
Beth Bernstein is a member of
- ASJH-American Society of Jewelry Historians
- WJA-Women’s Jewelry Association
She has lectured, given presentations and created panel discussions for various organizations and trade show events and sat on numerous panels as a judge for new talent in the jewelry industry. She also has a youtube channel which covers different facets of jewelry both antique and modern.