Capturing Love with Shane Berkman
February 6, 2021 | by robyn fogle
There’s more than one way to say, “I love you.” Sometimes love is expressed in a touch, quality time together, or a selfless act of service. Other times it is shown by an extra special gift.
Shane Berkman, Master Goldsmith and owner of Berkman Custom Jewelers, has many stories to tell of love expressed through a piece of custom jewelry. Larry and Julie are one such example.
It was late 2019 when the two first walked into his shop. “They were just kind of feeling up the place...they wanted to see if the quality and the service was good,” he explains. He and the pair hit it off from the start.
At the time they were preparing to move to France (though they ended up in Croatia). While Shane did a few repairs for them, Julie perused the cases and spotted a ring that she liked. They left without purchasing the ring as it wasn’t quite big enough for her taste, but her husband noticed her interest.
As they prepared to celebrate one final Christmas in the US, Larry wanted to surprise his wife with a special gift to express his love for her.
So he reached out to Shane and asked him to design and create a unique, custom ring for Julie. The two men worked together to design the perfect ring. “He wanted a big rock” recalls Shane, “so I did a two-carat in the center,” he beams as he shows me a photo of the exquisite ring. Though to some it may seem too gaudy, Larry knew it would be exactly what Julie would love – something that would reflect her taste and style.
Julie, meanwhile, had no idea her husband was planning such a special gift for her.
When the ring was completed, the two men discussed how they might surprise Julie. They agreed to put the ring in the display case at the store with a note on the bottom that read “Julie, this is yours.”
On the designated day, Larry brought Julie back into the store to “browse” knowing she would spot the new ring in the case. Shane, who was of course in on the surprise, cleverly positioned his phone to capture a recording of her reaction.
Sure enough, this new ring in the case immediately caught Julie’s attention. “I want to see that one” she told Shane, pointing at the ring Larry and Shane had created just for her. The moment she saw it, it captured her.
“I had chills up my spine” recalls Shane. The ring was “Julie” - her taste, her style, her personality – and together Larry and Shane had nailed it. When she discovered the note on the bottom her surprise and delight was priceless - “are you kidding me?!” she exclaimed, laughing and staring with wonder at her adoring husband.
It was hers. A gift she will cherish for a lifetime. A visual reminder of love and a sense of being known.
Check out the moment...
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