Jewelry in Armenia: History, Symbols and What to Buy
Vazgen Martirosov
Almost every Armenian family has one: a small gold cross, an old silver belt, a ring nobody is allowed to lose. Ask where it came from and you get a long story and a second cup of coffee.
Quick answer: jewelry in Armenia has a history of more than 2,500 years, from Urartian gold dug up near Yerevan to the pieces made by hand here today. If you want one to take home, look for a design with meaning, like our Tree of Life pendant or Family Pendant Necklace, and check for a 585 or 750 stamp. Below: the history, the techniques, what the symbols mean and how to buy well, in Armenia or from abroad.
A short history of Armenian jewelry
Most Armenian jewelry history comes down to one fact: this region has always had metal, makers and trade routes. Here is the long story in a short table.
| Period | Where | What survives |
|---|---|---|
| 7th century BC | Karmir Blur (Urartu) | Gold bracelets, earrings and necklaces |
| 10th to 13th century | Dvin | Gold necklaces and earrings with turquoise and pearls |
| 18th to 19th century | Van and other cities | Silver belts, buckles, and head and forehead ornaments |
| 20th century | Armenian communities abroad | Family workshops, as in Bourj Hammoud, Beirut |
| Today | Yerevan and beyond | 14K and 18K gold, silver, custom work |
Urartian gold
The picture at the top of this page shows some of the oldest gold jewelry in Armenia. It comes from Karmir Blur, the hill where the Urartian fortress of Teishebaini stood in the 7th century BC. Excavations there found gold and silver jewelry, including bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Look closely and you can see tiny gold grains and braided wire. Someone made that by hand, more than 2,500 years ago, without a single electric light.
The gold of medieval Dvin
Dvin was one of the great cities of medieval Armenia, and its jewelers worked in a place where trade routes met. Gold pieces from the 10th to 13th centuries show influences from Byzantium, Egypt, Syria and Iran. The Aygestan Hoard, found in 1936, is among the best known finds, and many of these pieces are held by the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan.
The silversmiths of Van
By the 18th and 19th centuries, Van was famous for its silver. The History Museum describes exceptional jewelry from Van, including silver belts with buckles and ornaments for the head, temple and forehead. A belt was never only a belt. It told people who you were and where you came from.
After 1915
The genocide of 1915 scattered Armenian craftsmen across the world, and many arrived with nothing but their skills. In Lebanon, as Monocle reports, the Beirut suburb of Bourj Hammoud grew into a center of hundreds of jewelry workshops. That is why you can meet Armenian jewelers today in Beirut, Los Angeles and Moscow as well as in Yerevan. The trade kept going because families kept teaching it.
Traditional Armenian jewelry techniques
Old pieces can look impossibly fine. These are the methods behind them, and you can still ask about them at a good workshop.
| Technique | How it works | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Filigree | Fine twisted wire shaped into lace-like patterns | Silver belts, earrings, bracelets |
| Granulation | Tiny grains of gold fixed to a surface | Urartian and medieval gold |
| Niello | A black alloy melted into engraved lines | Gold and silver belts |
| Enamel | Colored glass fused onto metal | Decorative silver pieces |
| Engraving | Designs or words cut by hand into metal | Rings, pendants, modern custom work |
Modern workshops add new tools. We often start a custom order with a 3D model, then finish the piece by hand. Old hands, new software, and one very patient jeweler.
What Armenian symbols mean in jewelry
Much of what makes a piece feel Armenian is its symbol. Here are the ones you will see most often in the shop windows.
| Symbol | What it stands for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Eternity sign (arevakhach) | Eternal life and light | Often carved on cross-stones and church walls |
| Cross and khachkar | Faith | Armenian cross-stone art is on the UNESCO heritage list |
| Pomegranate | Fertility, prosperity, good fortune | A much-loved gift and souvenir design |
| Armenian letters | Language and identity | A first initial makes a personal gift |
| Tree of Life | Roots and family | Our own round pendant design |
Cross-stones, or khachkars, were added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2014, and their patterns often turn up in rings and pendants. Our own diamond cross necklace is a simpler, modern take on the cross. One honest note: these symbols carry meaning, not magic. A pendant can remind you of your family. It cannot do your taxes.
Our Tree of Life design comes from a simple idea: when you leave home and do well, the people back home are still proud of you and still waiting. We tell the full story in our post on the Tree of Life pendant.
What jewelry to buy in Armenia
You can find almost everything here, so start with who it is for. These are the choices that rarely go wrong:
- A gift for family abroad: a Tree of Life or family pendant, because the meaning does the talking.
- A proposal: a ring made to size. See our guide to engagement rings in Yerevan.
- A faith gift: a gold cross, for a christening or a godchild.
- A small souvenir: silver with an Armenian motif, usually the easiest on the budget.
- Something only you own: a custom piece from a picture, such as Mount Ararat, the map of Armenia or a word in your grandmother's handwriting.
For gold, most visitors head to Movses Khorenatsi Street in Yerevan, and for silver and crafts, to the Vernissage market. We walk you through both, street by street, in our guide on where to buy gold jewelry in Yerevan. One warning for Vernissage: EVN Report notes that it can be hard to tell original designs from copies, so ask who made a piece before you pay.
How to check gold jewelry in Armenia
Gold is sold by purity and weight, so these are the things to ask about before the price:
- The stamp. 585 means 14K and 750 means 18K. Old Soviet-era pieces may say 583. Our gold number code chart covers every number, and our guide to 585 gold explains the most common one.
- The weight. Ask how many grams the piece weighs, then compare shops on the same terms.
- The maker. A shop with its own jewelers can resize and repair your piece later.
- The stones. Ask whether they are natural diamonds, and how many carats in total. Then read how to tell if a diamond is real.
- A test. Any honest jeweler is fine with you having a piece checked. Our guide on how to tell if gold is real shows you how.
Not sure between the two main golds? For daily wear, 14K is tougher, while 18K has a richer color. We compare them in 14K vs 18K gold.
Buying Armenian jewelry from abroad
Not everyone who wants a piece from Armenia can fly to Yerevan for it. Maybe you want a small piece of home, or a gift for someone who left.
It works like this. You choose a piece online, or send us a picture on WhatsApp or Instagram. For custom work, we tell you the grams and the cost, you pay a 15% deposit, and we make a 3D model for you to approve. Then we make it by hand in our workshop, which takes about 3 to 4 days. Delivery usually takes another 1 to 2 weeks, and we ship to 45 countries.
Jewelry in Armenia, made in our workshop
GH Jewells has been making jewelry in Yerevan since 2010, in 14K and 18K gold with real diamonds. We are at 33 Movses Khorenatsi Street, and you are welcome to come in, see the work and ask your questions. You are also welcome to have any of our pieces tested at an assay office. Read more in our story.
Frequently asked questions
What is Armenia known for in jewelry?
Armenia is known for fine silverwork, filigree, and pieces that carry symbols such as the cross, the eternity sign and the pomegranate. Its jewelry history goes back more than 2,500 years, to the gold of Urartu.
What is traditional Armenian jewelry made of?
Mostly silver and gold. Silver belts and head ornaments were common in the 18th and 19th centuries, while older gold pieces use stones such as turquoise and pearls.
What gold is sold in Armenia?
You will mostly see 14K, stamped 585, and 18K, stamped 750. Old pieces from the Soviet era may carry a 583 stamp, which is very close to 585.
Where can I see old Armenian jewelry?
The History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan holds some of the best known pieces, including medieval gold from Dvin. Check its website for what is on display before you go.
What is a good jewelry gift from Armenia?
A piece with a clear meaning works best, such as an eternity sign, a cross, a pomegranate, an Armenian letter or a Tree of Life pendant. It says where the gift came from without a card.
Can I order jewelry from Armenia if I live abroad?
Yes. We make every piece in our Yerevan workshop and ship to 45 countries. It usually takes 3 to 4 days to make, then about 1 to 2 weeks to reach you.
The story goes on
So that small gold cross in your family has a very long line behind it: Urartian goldsmiths, the workshops of Dvin, the silversmiths of Van. Jewelry in Armenia has survived empires and exile because people kept handing it down. If you are looking for the next piece in that line, we would be glad to make it.
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Handmade to order in Yerevan since 2010.