Summerlin resident’s designs are crown jewel in family business

In a world of big-box stores and mega-franchises, the Fashion Show’s Berger & Son Fine Jewelers stands out as a store that offers individualized attention and unique pieces. As much as 80 percent of the items in its showcases are designed by the owner, Summerlin resident Stuart Berger.

Berger, who lives in Red Rock Country Club, said the artistic appeal of making jewelry was always part of him, even though his degree from the University of Nevada, Reno is in business.

“Mom wanted me to have a business background, so, of course, you do what your mother wants,” he said. “… But there was always that part of me, that inner child, that wanted to be involved in jewelry making and design.”

His late father, Arthur “Artie” Berger, was classified as a “bench jeweler,” an old-school, handcrafting jewelry maker. It was from him that Stuart learned the tried-and-true methods of creating jewelry pieces — the lost wax process that requires burning and casting.

“I would go over and sit with Dad and see how he made things,” he said. “That led to me designing (pieces).”

Today, that training means he’s able to craft pieces with input from the client. Items can be made in three to four weeks. More intricate pieces, he said, can require up to six months to complete, as “they’re more labor-intensive, like, if you have 300 or 400 little diamonds to include.”

The business takes him to the jewelry centers of the world about four times a year. His latest excursion was to Brazil, but his dream trip is visiting the diamond mines of Africa. Just talking about it makes his eyes light up.

“Travel gives you a different perspective on life,” he said. “Jewelry is an item nobody needs. It’s an item that people want. You have to create that desire in people … a lot of times, I’ll show people things I haven’t even created yet, something just in the thought process, and they’ll say, ‘You’re on the right track,’ and I’ll create a piece for them.”

Some of his clients are celebrities, including Spanish Hills resident Vince Neil of the band Motley Crue.

Neil, a self-professed jewelry buff, said his most recent acquisitions were a diamond Versace ring and a diamond Rolex.

“Stuart always has great stuff,” he said. “If I see something in a magazine and go, “Stu, can you find it?’ He’ll go, ‘Yes,’ and it’s there the next day.”

Berger takes it upon himself to see that his top clients are well-served. He sends limousines to the airport to pick them up and arranges for show tickets or restaurant reservations.

“People tell me, ‘Even though we don’t live in Vegas, you’re our hometown jeweler,’ ” he said.

As Las Vegas has grown, so has Berger & Son Fine Jewelers. It has occupied different locations, which, as a true child of Las Vegas, Berger identified by various landmarks of days gone by: In 1970, it was the long-standing White Cross Drugs on Las Vegas Boulevard near Oakey Boulevard; later, it was a spot near the once-trendsetting Elephant Bar north of Sunrise Hospital; and since 1981, it’s been inside the Fashion Show mall.

In 1983, after college, Berger joined the family business. It was called The Gold Factory back then. He started working behind the counter in sales and found he liked interacting with clients. He took over the business in 1998.

The tourist-slow winter season means Berger gets a chance to create more designs.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit bergerandson.com or call 702-737-7118.

Contact Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 702-387-2949.