Advancing the Heritage of Armenians in Jewellery
AJF Launches Historical Research Program
AJF is pleased to announce that it has begun its much‐anticipated venture into Armenian jewellery history. From the first diamond engagement ring to the founding director of the Paris jewellery school, AJF is on a mission to prove that Armenians are to jewellery what the Swiss are to watches.
AJF has already interviewed many scholars to explore the various approaches to this venture. It has also carried out missions to Yerevan and other cities in search of experts who can trace back the development of Armenian jewellery history, and its relevance to international trades and commerce.
A conference to exchange knowledge on the subject matter is planned for October 2014, where AJF plans to host a number of academics and researchers who are ready to share their insights, and kick‐start a process that will help us document and highlight key milestones from our collective entrepreneurial past.
Needless to say, AJF needs strategic partners to achieve its goals, and therefore, we are already in discussions with a number of academic institutions. In this respect, AJF's chairman Mr. Pierre Akkelian recently met with the head of the Richard Hovannisian Chair of Modern Armenian History at UCLA, Professor Sebouh Aslanian, soliciting his engagement and guidance.
To promote overall collaboration with potential partner organizations in research and education, Mr. Akkelian has also met with Michael Kazanjian of the Kazanjian Foundation to explore themes of common interest.