MILAN — As a third-generation member of the Arslanian diamond dynasty, which began almost 75 years ago, Sahag Arslanian is bringing his expertise to the table by launching his first namesake collection of high jewelry.
To be unveiled in Paris on Tuesday, the collection hinges on colored diamonds, which Arslanian described as “the pinnacle of luxury and refinement, much rarer than white diamonds, and very much in demand.”
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During an interview in Milan, the young entrepreneur touted the variety of colored diamonds, citing 40 different hues of yellow, for example, and their scarcity versus synthetic diamonds, which are a less expensive alternative.
While “people are more knowledgeable about precious stones, from rubies to emeralds, they are less well-versed in colored diamonds, which is a market for collectors and connoisseurs and they are only going to appreciate in value,” he argued.
His goal is to raise the design bar and the engineering of the jewels, while at the same time rendering them more wearable and timeless. “We are positioning ourselves in what I would call the accessible range of the high-end jewelry, which is below a million dollars. You see people wearing watches retailing at $200,000 or $500,000 and they’re OK with it. I want the same for these jewels,” said Arslanian.
Inspired by the celestial world, the inaugural ensemble unfolds in three chapters: the Sun Rays Collection, the Lunar Eclipse Collection and the Celestial Radiance Collection.
He recalled how he would watch the stars as a child, and how they help lead the way. “So there is an element of faith to them,” Arslanian said.
The Sun Rays necklace is stunning as at its center glows an 8.88-carat, fancy yellow diamond and the transformable pendant’s lower half detaches to become a brooch. The architectural signature kite motif punctuates the design and recurs throughout the series, also with a pyramidal volume.
The Lunar Eclipse necklace captures the mystery of the lunar cycle and its focal point is a 15.59-carat fancy yellow diamond, surrounded by 1,100 stones set in 250 grams of gold. This complex piece was initially created in a single gold hue, then it was carefully disassembled and reassembled by hand in a second tone, resulting in a duality that mirrors the interplay between the sun and the moon.
Arslanian underscored the flexibility and symmetry of the jewels, which is key to his artistic vision.
The Celestial Radiance choker features a 10.30-carat yellow diamond, representing solar rays bouncing between planets dispersing into delicate angular shapes, dazzling with yellow and brown diamonds.
Before joining his family’s business in 2013, which is based in Antwerp, Arslanian refined his skills in the Chinese luxury market and developed mining projects in South Africa. Tasked with enhancing diamond operations for the organization, he cofounded the Arslanian Group NV to continue to grow the family’s global presence, eventually rising to the role of chief financial officer and then managing director in 2019.
Leveraging the Arslanian family’s reputation, Sahag sources rare gemstones through partnerships with suppliers that have lasted decades, upholding high standards of ethical sourcing, traceability and sustainability.
He has held roles in several key organizations, including as a former vice president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in 2024. He is the current vice president of the Armenian Jeweller Association (AJA) and a member of the World Diamond Council.
“We had a very big proximity to jewelry, but at the same time, we were not into it. It was my family that invented the hearts and arrow cut, which is the perfect cut for round diamonds back in the late 1990s in our factory in Armenia. Asking myself how I could transition into jewelry, and to prove to myself that at heart I’m a real jeweler, I went immediately for the highest engineering possible in jewelry making — the stars — and using the most precious and rarest materials of all, which are the colored diamonds,” he said.
The diamonds mainly come from South Africa, Botswana, Angola and Namibia and the collection is manufactured in Italy, France and Portugal.
It will be presented at the Automobile Club de France on Place de la Concorde. “It’s one of the most beautiful squares in Paris, and the club has beautiful large and beautiful spaces and very well illuminated windows,” said Arslanian.
The brand will open a showroom in mid-September on Avenue Matignon, near Le Bristol hotel and Sotheby’s on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. “I chose this place because I have a lot of connection with the art world, and this is where all the galleries are. I think I’ll be the only jeweler in that neighborhood,” he said with a smile. “The brand is my name. It’s my reputation. Everything is at stake for me.”
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