Geneva, Switzerland

Advancing the Heritage of Armenians in Jewellery

About Us
  • Board of Trustees

    The Armenian Jewellers Foundation was officially launched in Geneva, Switzerland, on August 16, 2013.

     

         
  • Mission

    The Armenian Jewellers Foundation is an exciting new effort that will explore the global heritage of jewellery, discover key jewellers and their contribution to the industry and provide funds to establish educational programs and scholarship programs for young emerging jewellers from all over the world.
  • Initiatives

    AJF plans to implement a number of initiatives in 2016 promoting Armenian jewellery heritage and providing scholarships to deserving young students.
  • Scholarship Program

    AJF launched its pilot scholarships program in 2014 thanks to an agreement signed with the Armenian Gemological Laboratory and Academy (AGLA) to fund gemological training for young Armenian students.
  • 100th Anniversary

    AJF sponsored and managed the publication, for the first time, of Miller’s collection catalogue and promote exhibits in 2015 and 2016. The inaugurating event was held on April 27, 2015 in St-Petersburg, with plans for further exhibits in Moscow, Yerevan, as well as in Europe and North America. 
Digital Library
  • Armenian Master Silversmiths by Osep Tokat

    AJF is proud to announce the launch of its Digital Library project dedicated to the history of Armenian jewellery art.
  • Armenian Master Silversmiths Book Review by Jack Ogden

    Tokat’s “profound fondness for silver” was prompted by what he calls “a handful of delicate Armenian artworks” that his parents had somehow managed to hold onto when they survived the Armenian genocide of 1915.

  • Treasures of Western Armenia

    Once in a lifetime, we come across an exceptional project; the publication and exhibition of the Treasures of Western Armenia is such an undertaking
Discover
  • Armenian Jewellery Heritage

    As we look back in time, there is a story to be told about every object, every road and every person. For the foundation, retracing the history of jewels and gems and the priceless objects on which they were adorned will allow us to look into a history that is rich with tales of love, loss and loyalty. 
  • History of Armenian Jewellery

    Since the dawn of civilization the art of jewellery making has been essential to man’s social development. Thousands of years ago communities would mine metals and then produce and trade jewellery of all types to the surrounding communities.
  • Today’s Prominent Jewellers

    Throughout history, jewellery masters have lived and worked in major city centers of the world, significantly contributing to the development of the global jewellery and gems industry. 
Study
  • AJF's Pilot Scholarship Program

    AJF launched its pilot scholarships program in 2014 thanks to an agreement signed with the Armenian Gemological Laboratory and Academy (AGLA) to fund gemological training for young Armenian students.A
  • Yearly Grants

    SCHOALRSHIPS PROGRAM 2015 
    AJF TO AWARD EDUCATIONAL GRANTS IN DIAMOND GRADING
Sponsor
  • Become a Friend

    Become a Friend of the Armenian Jewellers Foundation and gain the opportunity to receive updated information about our recent discoveries and have the opportunity to be involved in Foundation Activities and Events.

    Your involvement as a Friend to the Foundation will make a difference and will help create a community that will allow the Foundation to prosper.
  • Fundraising Initiatives

    Franck Muller Limited Edition Watches

    The Foundation’s first fundraising effort is made possible thanks to the generous support of Mr. Vartan Sirmakes, CEO of Franck Muller Geneva, who offered to manufacture a special limited series of Franck Muller watches celebrating the Armenian Alphabet. These watches will be given as a memento to the Foundation’s patrons whose contributions will provide start-up funds for education and research activities.
  • Current Patrons

    Become a Patron of the Armenian Jewellers Foundation and gain the opportunity to acquire unique gifts and get recognition for your contributions in all the Foundation’s publications.

    Your support as a Patron to the Foundation will make a difference and will shed light on a rich history and help educate the young jewellers of the future.
news

TIME TO ENJOY AJF`S DIGITAL LIBRARY PUBLISHES THE KAZANJIAN FAMILY STORY

Published : Saturday, December 28, 2019
Back to News Section

The Kazanjian Story – A Family Retrospective An Introduction & Review

By Bill Boyajian
As a second-generation Armenian-American, I can wellrelate to the story of how Charles and Anna Kazanjian fled Western Armenia with their family in 1912 to escape the Armenian Genocide by the oppressive Ottoman Turkish regime. It is a story told countless times by Armenian families who were lucky enough through God’s blessing to flee to the United States or other countries as part of the Great Diaspora before the onslaught of World War I. This is the story of how James and Harry Kazanjian established themselves as young men in America, founding Kazanjian Brothers as one of the premier gemstone cutting businesses in the early part of the 20th Century, and how the Kazanjian family has evolved its business over the decades into one of the finest houses of precious gems and jewels our country has known. The Kazanjian Story – A Family Retrospective is one of fate, luck, opportunity, success, and destiny. In the pages that follow, you will relive with the Kazanjians how determination, hard work, risk, and reward melded into a great Armenian immigrant story and how the family achieved The American Dream. The Armenian heritage in gems and jewelry- making dates back millennia, and the Kazanjian story is one of many that epitomizes that tradition.
Madonna's Edwardian diamond wedding tiara
Մատոննայի Եդուարդեան ադամանդէ հարսանեկան թագը
I first read The Kazanjian Story when it was published back in 2010, marking the firm’s 95th birthday.  The Kazanjians continue today, at the age of 105, in their fourth generation.  Precious few companies last this long, and even fewer continue to dominate their role in a community like the Kazanjians have in the greater Los Angeles area and in Beverly Hills, in particular.
As you read the story of how the Kazanjian Brothers began, you will delight in the history and nostalgia of the decades as they unfold.  You will gain a greater insight into the way Jimmy and Harry Kazanjian helped to popularize colored gemstones in America, bringing black star sapphires into the consciousness of consumers, birthing the development of Montana sapphires, and growing the estate jewelry business.  Indeed, this work is a spotlight on the history of the evolution of the American jewelry industry and how one family made a significant contribution to it.
But this is also a story that is easily relatable to anyone who wants a look behind the scenes at an Armenian-American family, its personality, character, and artistry in full view.  Accented by nostalgic stories of success, drama, intrigue, and bewilderment, you will enjoy the pages that recount beguiling memories and experiences that one simply couldn’t dream up.  Just as enjoyable are the Hollywood stars and their stories of frequenting the house of Kazanjian for some of the finest jewels in the world.  You’ll enjoy those stories, the photos, and the walk back in time.
The famous Black Star Sapphire of Queensland
Քուինսլանտի նշանաւոր Սեւ Աստղ սափֆիրը
The Kazanjians were instrumental in cutting the now famous Star of Queensland and in donating a priceless collection of four large sapphire sculptures of the heads of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Eisenhower.  The Kazanjian family was honored to loan this collection to the Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, in 1969 and later gifted the “Presidents in Sapphire” to the American people during a presentation ceremony at the White House with President and Mrs. Reagan in 1987.
Michael presenting the Presidential sapphires to then-President and Mrs. Reagan at the White House
Մայքլը կը ներկայացնէ նախագահական սափֆիրները Նախագահ Ռեյկանին եւ Առաջին Տիկնոջը Սպիտակ Տան մէջ
The Kazanjian Story is one of formidable history and legacy.  Of special note is the Kazanjian Foundation, formed in 1957 by James and Harry Kazanjian to support scientific, artistic, cultural and other causes with an emphasis on programs for disadvantaged children and underprivileged youth.  The Kazanjians have always been known as a family that gives back, and no greater example of that is the Foundation formed under their name to support worthy causes.
Jimmy Kazanjian’s sons, Michael and Stanley, took Kazanjian Brothers to new heights over the past 50 years, and Michael’s son and daughter, Douglas and Michelle, continue this tradition through their leadership in the company today.  The famous Kazanjian Red Diamond is but one unique addition that Douglas has made to leverage the mystique that is genuine Kazanjian.
The spectacular Kazanjian Red Diamond as captured by noted fine jewellery photographer, Tino Hammid.
Գազանճեաններու Կարմիր Ադամանդը՝ ըստ յայտնի ոսկերչական լուսանկարիչ Թինո Համմիտի։
 
About the Reviewer  

Bill Boyajian is the former long-time president of the Gemological Institute of America, and a noted expert in the diamond, gemstone, and jewelry industry.  He is currently founder & president of Bill Boyajian & Associates, Inc., where his company consults for a wide variety of businesses inside and outside the jewelry trade.  Bill is the author of Developing the Mind of a Leader – Your Path to Lead and Inspire People and is a sought-after business coach and speaker. 

Bill is a member of several boards of directors and is a key advisor to numerous companies.  He is a Founding Member of the Armenian Jewellers Foundation and a Trustee. He can be reached at bill@billboyajianassociates.com
   
Access Kazanjians' e-book at The Kazanjian Story
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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