Fine jewellery manufacturer Artinian Co Ltd earlier unveiled a collection focusing on the lush beauty of emeralds. In an interview with JNA, company president and CEO Arto Artinian talks about his long-standing love affair with the green gem, Artinian’s exciting projects in 2016 and his company’s customer service-focused culture.
JNA: Please describe your latest fine emerald jewellery collection. What makes these pieces stand out?
Arto Artinian: The uniqueness of this collection lies in the emeralds themselves. The quality, colour and size of the emeralds are exceptional. I would like to point out that four of the main pieces of emeralds in the collection were cut from one piece of rough stone. This undertaking has produced magnificent gems in terms of shape, colour, size and purity. More importantly, the emerald is completely natural and without any oil enhancement. The stones are of Colombian origin and recovered from the very famous mine of Chivor. Chivor emeralds possess great brilliance and clarity although they are lighter in colour. They are, however, so clear that you can see through them.
JNA: Why focus on Colombian emeralds?
Artinian: Colombian emeralds have always fascinated me since I was very young. I started working with my father at the age of 21. During my early years in the business, one of my clients asked me if I could find him a piece of fine emerald. I visited one of the most famous emerald collectors at the time and he asked me, “What sort of emerald are you looking for?” I said my client wanted a nice 5-carat emerald. I left with one of the nicest 5-carat stones in his inventory! When I returned from my trip and presented the stone to my client, he immediately fell in love with it. That was the last time I saw that emerald.
JNA: Who are your target buyers for your emerald jewellery collection?
Artinian: For centuries, emeralds have been the gemstone of royalty. They symbolise power and wealth. Today, there are many collectors who understand and appreciate the beauty of these stones. One needs to understand that this gem is of a very special nature. They “live” and thrive in pockets along the rivers of Colombia, so they need moisture in order to shine and sparkle. If you ever visit Colombia, you will see its landscape blanketed in green – a beautiful reminder of nature’s gifts to mankind.
I highly encourage our clients to understand the complexity and the difficult circumstances in which this gemstone is mined to fully appreciate its beauty.
JNA: In spite of the challenging macroeconomic environment, do you remain positive about your business prospects? Why?
Artinian: Economic cycles will come and go. This isn’t the first time that the world has faced challenges and it isn’t going to be the last. Looking at the bright side of things, we are still living in a part of the world that is enjoying economic growth. Sometimes, we should take the time to appreciate life and exercise patience.
JNA: What would you say were Artinian’s major accomplishments last year?
Artinian: We always look forward to developing and improving ourselves in all aspects of our business, be it in client services, manufacturing innovation and most especially, socially responsible business practices. I am very proud to say that we have greatly improved our facilities to meet these goals.
JNA: In addition to your latest emerald jewellery line, what other exciting projects have you lined up for 2016?
Artinian: What I love about our industry is that there is no end to what we can create. There is always something new to get excited about. This year, we are developing a whole new jewellery line for our brand, Sartoro, which my brother and I created. We are taking this brand forward with our new design and marketing teams.
JNA: What are Artinian’s competitive strengths?
Artinian: We value our people above all else that it feels a lot like we are one big family. This work culture fosters teamwork, which makes it possible for us to achieve great things. We have also nurtured a culture of customer service. We can create completely independent teams for specific assignments, without impacting our other projects, from branding and specialised OEM manufacturing to private label development. Last year, we inaugurated our state-of-the-art headquarters and production facilities in Thailand, which are equipped with design and product development studios, advanced end-to-end manufacturing technologies, a CNC manufacturing platform, a master goldsmith’s atelier, state-of-the art setting and polishing systems, and a healthy, safe and hygienic work environment for our staff. Our headquarters also features a luxury showroom, which features some of Artinian’s finest collections.
[Source:- jewellerynewsasia]