mongst the art galleries and luxury houses lining Paris’ Avenue Matignon, a new name is catching the eye of devotees of rare gems and haute joaillerie. On this street that is discreet yet central to the cultural and creative landscape of the French capital, Sahag Arslanian has chosen to open his first gallery, a space designed to showcase his creations and convey his contemporary vision of diamonds.
The choice of this city is no coincidence, as Arslanian himself points out: “Paris is the capital of Haute Couture and is to Haute Joaillerie what Geneva is to watchmaking. Here, savoir-faire is not just about craftsmanship, but also about how jewellery is perceived as a cultural artefact, art form and creation all rolled into one.”
The third generation of a dynasty
For Sahag Arslanian, this new chapter marks the transition from diamond specialist to artistic director and founder of his own Haute Joaillerie marque—a development rooted in a family history stretching back more than 75 years. The Arslanian family is indeed one of the best-known names in the international diamond trade. Based in Antwerp and long established in the sector’s main hubs, Dubai and Hong Kong, over time it has developed special relationships with producer countries and forged a well-grounded reputation for selecting stones of exceptional quality.
Today, Sahag Arslanian represents the third generation of this dynasty. After studying in London and gaining international experience in Africa and Asia, he joined the family business in 2013, contributing to the creation of the Arslanian Group and taking on the role of director in 2019.
His official Haute Joaillerie debut took place in Paris in July 2025 with the presentation of a first collection: an ambitious project comprising 30 creations inspired by the heavens and developed around three symbolic realms: the Sun, Moon and stars. It was conceptualised as a dialogue between light, movement and form.
The Sun Rays, Lunar Eclipse and Celestial Radiance collections express this cosmic inspiration through gold and diamond jewellery in which geometrical shapes and shimmering reflections evoke the motion of celestial bodies. Taken together, the 30 creations form a kind of symbolic journey across the sky in which each piece of jewellery becomes a small piece of light-filled architecture.
Above and beyond the aesthetic dimension, each piece of jewellery stems from significant design work. The shapes are designed to follow the body’s lines naturally, while invisible joints and extremely sophisticated mounting systems enable these creations to retain a surprisingly seamless look and feel despite their technical complexity. This balance between design and construction reflects one of Sahag Arslanian’s core beliefs: Haute Joaillerie must be spectacular, but also designed to be worn.
Within this vision, diamonds are not just precious stones, but rather a language in which coloured options occupy a central place. “Coloured diamonds have always fascinated me. Their rarity and intensity make them absolutely unique. Even today, we see them far too rarely in Haute Joaillerie collections, even though they enable the creation of extraordinary combinations.”
Rare stones and coloured diamonds
Throughout his career in the diamond business, the jeweller has had access to some of the rarest stones on the market. The family is particularly renowned for its selection of highly valuable coloured—especially blue and pink—diamonds that are among the most sought-after by collectors and major jewellery houses.
One of the most iconic examples is the Ocean Dream: an extraordinary Vivid Deep Blue-Green diamond famed for having been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. This stone was in the Arslanian family’s possession during the early 2000s and was sold in 2003 for approximately USD 2 million before being auctioned in 2012 for around USD 12 million.
Such experiences have enabled the jeweller to develop an extremely detailed understanding of the coloured diamond market, where the rarity of hues—from vivid pink to fancy blue—can transform a gem into a collector’s item. For Sahag Arslanian, however, the value of these stones is not merely economic, as each coloured diamond represents a creative possibility, a nuance of light capable of giving shape to a creative jewellery language.
When asked what inspired his first Haute Joaillerie collection, he replies: “When we think of destiny, we instinctively look up at the heavens. This idea resulted in a collection inspired by the sky, shared by the Sun, Moon and stars.”
This attention to detail has garnered international recognition: the Lunar Eclipse necklace was awarded the New Talent Prize at the Monte-Carlo Grand Prix de la Haute Joaillerie, establishing Sahag Arslanian as one of the sector’s rising stars. This accolade gave him the credibility required to open a boutique in Paris. “The Paris gallery represents a fundamental step. I wanted to create a space where diamonds could be presented not only as precious stones, but also as objects of design, culture and investment”, he explains.
Located at 34 Avenue Matignon in the heart of the art gallery district, the gallery is designed more as a private salon than a traditional boutique. Guests are welcomed by appointment, in an intimate setting designed to encourage conversation and the discovery of creations. For Sahag Arslanian, Haute Joaillerie at this level is a form of wearable art that needs to be understood before it is acquired.
Bespoke creations
The jeweller also offers bespoke creations, as he explains: “Giving our clients the chance to design bespoke collections with us represents a natural evolution of our relationship with them. Being able to choose a gemstone directly from a selection of one-of-a-kind and rare stones that only we can provide thanks to our longstanding expertise is a unique and enriching experience. Bringing these gemstones to life in a Sahag Arslanian piece of jewellery bestows additional value and exclusivity on the creation. This service is available in our gallery as well as by private appointment at the client’s home.”
Going forward, Sahag Arslanian envisions a new generation of collectors: people capable of recognising excellence with an expert eye and choosing jewellery that expresses their identity, aesthetic sensibility and culture. From this standpoint, his approach to jewellery goes beyond the material value of the stones. Each creation becomes a form of personal narrative striking a subtle balance between tradition and modernity, between technical precision and poetry.
Combining a more than 75-year legacy of a family in the international diamond trade and a desire to explore new creative languages, Sahag Arslanian today embodies a generation of diamond specialists looking to the future from a fresh perspective. A future in which diamonds are not merely a precious material, but a language through which to express one’s vision of beauty.
