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

Digital Library

AJF is proud to announce the launch of its Digital Library project dedicated to the history of Armenian jewellery art.

In the digital age, this project may resonate far more effectively among scholars, researchers and the public at large. The very rich history of Armenian applied arts throughout the ages is a treasure trove for those who examine cross-cultural influences and universal arts and crafts expressions – as well as craftsmen and designers seeking knowledge and inspiration.
Further to the Treasurers of Western Armenia publication realized through a collaboration agreement with the Saint Petersburg Ethnography Museum - as well as several other scholarly articles - AJF is now embarking on this new quest to present to the public existing and new analytical e-books and materials relevant to Armenian and global jewellery.
Treasures of Western Armenia   Armenian Master Silversmiths by Osep Tokat

Once in a lifetime, we come across an exceptional project; the publication and exhibition of the Treasures of Western Armenia is such an undertaking.

Armenians living on their ancestral land for millennia faced a horrible fate at the turn of the 20th century. The expedition of the Imperial Academy in 1916, which was joined by Alexander A. Miller and his colleagues from the Museum of Ethnography, captured their rich heritage and traditions for posterity. Since then, the expedition journals and collection remained unpublished.

This volume is a tribute to the people of Western Armenia who were uprooted, as well as to Alexander Miller and his team who ventured into the war front to preserve their memory.

We congratulate and thank everyone involved in the realisation of this catalogue. We extend special thanks to the director of the Museum, Prof. Vladimir Grusman, and his curators for their collaboration and meticulous work.

The Armenian Jewellers Foundation (AJF) is committed to exploring and advancing the heritage of Armenians in the arts and crafts. On the centennial commemorative anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we dedicate this book to the survival, resilience and prosperity of the Armenian nation.

Access e-book here | Read California Courier's article here

 

The first of the AJF Digital Library series was made possible thanks to an accord with Armenian American author Osep Tokat who entrusted AJF the task of digitizing his capital work Armenian Master Silversmiths.

This bilingual publication was printed originally in English and Armenian by Van Publishing in Los Angeles in 2005.

Thereafter, a revised edition was published by Aras in Istanbul in 2009. Tokat’s celebrated publication contains both research, as well as an invaluable collection featured through catalogued illustrations. Even though the author focuses on Van’s rich tradition of silversmithing, he also makes a brief introduction to the history of the Armenians and the history of Armenian jewellers in various communities. “Armenians have been the transmitters of may arts and crafts, not only within the borders of the Ottoman Empire, but throughout Russia, Iran, Georgia, Europe, Arab countries, India and the United States,” states the author.
The Kazanjian Story Armenian Jewelry Art

 

 
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