Heavy/Getty Interior designer and HGTV star Nate Berkus
Designer and HGTV star Nate Berkus is mourning the loss of his dear friend, fashion jewelry icon Barbara Berger. Fans and friends flooded his touching Instagram post on January 16, 2024, with sympathy as well as curiosity.
“Will always be grateful for everything you did for me,” Berkus captioned the videos and photos he posted, which led some to believe he’d lost his mother rather than a close friend and mentor.
As one of the world’s best-known collectors of costume jewelry, mostly from luxury designers, Berger shared not only a close friendship with Berkus but an intense passion for vintage design. He posted additional memories of her in his Instagram Stories, as did his husband and HGTV co-star, designer Jeremiah Brent. In fact, they both captioned their Stories with the words “miss you already.”
Nate Berkus Once Called Barbara Berger & Her Late Husband 2 of His ‘Favorite People in the World’
Born in New York in 1942, Barbara Berger was the daughter of a diamond merchant, according to W magazine. When she was 13, her mother — who inspired her passion for collecting beautiful things — died and left her beloved collection of jewelry to her daughter.
“A collector is born, not made,” she told Quién magazine in 2010. “It’s not an acquired taste, but something you come into the world with.”
After her first marriage, Barbara married Mauricio Berger, co-founder of Mexico’s premiere jewelry company, per Pulse News Mexico. He died in September 2022 at age 92, after more than 40 years of marriage to Barbara, according to Quien.
Berkus did not provide details on his relationship with the Bergers, but after spending time with them in 2010, he tweeted, “Saying goodbye to barbara and maurizio berger is always hard for me, two of my favorite people in the world…”
Berkus has said many times that if he was not an interior designer, he would be an estate jeweler, including in a 2023 interview with House Beautiful.
“Jewelry is a lot like design,” he said. “I like things from, like, the 40s, 50s and 60s mainly.”
During her lifetime, Barbara Berger accumulated an archive of over 4,000 pieces of designer costume jewelry, from vintage Christian Dior to contemporary designs by Dolce & Gabbana, per W. In 2013, 450 of her pieces were the focus of an exhibit at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and a book called “Fashion Jewelry: The Collection of Barbara Berger.”
Berkus was photographed at the exhibit opening and often promoted his friend’s book on social media as one of his favorite tomes on jewelry. In his Instagram tribute to her, he included photos of them together over the years.
Some Fans Though Nate Berkus Was Mourning the Loss of His Own Mom in His Post
After Berkus shared his tribute to Berger on Instagram, thousands of fans and friends flooded the post with condolences, including multiple HGTV stars.
Jenny Marrs of “Fixer to Fabulous” wrote, “I’m so deeply sorry for your loss.”
“Rock the Block” host Ty Pennington commented, “Sending Hugs Buddy. So sorry”
Veronica Valencia of “Revealed” wrote, “Sending you and the family love and healing during this time Nate ❤️🕊️”
Others specifically paid tribute to Berger, remembering her as a kind and creative visionary.
One person wrote, “So Barbara! Unforgettable! Kind, generous in every way, we had wonderful times together bonding over our appreciation for the art and design of jewelry.”
But many others were confused by the post, with some assuming that Berkus had lost his mom and others questioning who the woman in the post was.
Berkus’s mom, Nancy Golden, is a former interior designer and HGTV contributor. For the last decade, she’s created her own jewelry and wallet collection out of recycled leather and other materials. While Berkus shared a deep love of vintage jewelry with Berger, he has said it was his mom who inspired him to become an interior designer.
On Golden’s birthday in 2017, he wrote on Facebook, “Happy birthday to the woman who has inspired my love of design since day one. Nancy Golden you are fearless, amazing and one-of-a-kind. I love you!”