• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Social Media
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • blogger
  • youtube

blog-logo

  • Home
  • Pan-Armenian News
  • UAE Armenians
  • Hrach Kalsahakian
  • Հայերեն բաժին
  • القسم العربي
  • Archives
    • News
    • Articles
    • Directory

Jewelry shop has proud history

December 4, 2009
A+ A-
Email Print

By Darron Kloster


Owner of new establishment tied to Emperor Haile Selassie I


The owners of a new jewelry shop downtown are continuing a family tradition that has spanned four generations, half the globe and nearly a century — not to mention one heck of a regal twist.


Natasha Prinz's family traces their roots in gold, silver and gems to Armenia and then — on the run from war and persecution — to Ethiopia, where her great-grandfather was a goldsmith for Emperor Haile Selassie I, who ruled the North African country for 44 years and is considered to be part of a dynasty that began with King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.


“It's a proud history that we have in the business,” says Prinz, who relocated Armeni Jewelers to Victoria from Salmon Arm with her husband, Zech Prinz, and father Hratch Baghdassarian, this year.


Baghdassarian's grandfather, Ghevont, was an aspiring goldsmith when he fled Armenia in 1929 after the Turkish annexation. He and his wife made their way by foot and camel train to Ethiopia, where his work with gold caught the attention of the emperor.


Ghevont went on to spend more than two decades making ornate rings, necklaces and crowns for Selassie, who died in 1975 but remains a huge historical and controversial figure. His legacy includes a belief by the Rastafarian movement that he was a messiah who was to lead the people of Africa and the African diaspora to a golden age of enlightenment.


The family doesn't have much of Ghevont's work. Almost all of it stayed with Selassie, although they managed to hold on to a pair ornate golden crosses fashioned just prior to Ghevont's death. He was poisoned by a jealous co-worker at age 42.


It's easy to see from the family's newest designs that a careful hand and eye for design have made it through to the newest generations.


Baghdassarian and Prinz design and manufacture almost all of the jewelry in their homes and store, which is on the ground floor of the new Aria condominium building on Humboldt Street. Retail pieces range from $20 gold chains to the $20,000 Polar Bear Diamond.


“We want to develop the same relationship with customers here as we did in Salmon Arm,” said Baghdassarian, 55.


“We want to get to know people, have them come to us when they want a memorable piece of jewelry. That's why we settled on our store here, in a new neighbourhood, and not on Government Street where all the tourists are.”


Baghdassarian came to Canada in 1976, settling in Vancouver with $200 in his pocket and working various jobs to stay afloat. He met his wife, Brenda, and they managed to borrow and scrape enough money together to buy a home, then flip it before the real estate market crashed. They settled in Sorrento and later Salmon Arm, where they opened Armeni Jewelers.


It was apparent that Natasha had her father's — and great-grandfather's — touch with design at an early age.


“I had just painted a room in the house all white and I noticed one day what I thought were little holes about a foot up the wall … I thought they were ants or something,” said Baghdassarian. “I had a closer look and they were minute little daisies drawn so perfectly and so small. Natasha was about two years old. I knew she would follow in our footsteps. She had these fine little fingers and so much talent at such an early age.


“When I asked Natasha if she wanted to be a goldsmith, it was the biggest joy of my life”.


Source: “Victoria Times Colonist”, 03 December 2009
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Jewelry+shop+proud+history/2297521/story.html

author-avatar

Posted by Azad-Hye

Like to share?

Social Media

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • flickr
  • blogger
  • youtube
Newer PostWhy the world overreacted to Dubai?
Older PostNigol Madghashian: The downside of lifts

POPULAR

item-thumbnail

Vardavar (water pouring) international festival in Armenia gains popularity

July 17, 2015
item-thumbnail

Rebecca Malikian’s novel “The Caravan of Death”

July 10, 2015
item-thumbnail

Erebouni pen launched in Dubai and other cities

April 12, 2015
item-thumbnail

Discrete Video Modeling for children with special needs in Armenia

February 23, 2016
item-thumbnail

Nana Aramyan’s art and her exceptional inspiration

September 12, 2015

LATEST

item-thumbnail

تواصل تركيا سياستها التقليدية بتبرير الإبادة الأرمنية والتهديد

August 11, 2020
item-thumbnail

Ptit: Armenian language website for children and teenagers

June 20, 2020
item-thumbnail

Vartine Ohanian Minister of Youth and Sports in the New Lebanese Government

January 22, 2020
item-thumbnail

Հայաստանի լեռնահարստացման կոմբինատը՝ «Չաարատ Կապան» ՓԲԸ-ն պատրաստվում է մեծամաշտաբ ծրագիր իրականացնել

January 21, 2020
item-thumbnail

Traditional Armenian Pilgrimage in Chinsurah

January 15, 2020

COMMENTS

Azad-Hye on In memory of AUB Medical Alumni who died during the First World War
Azad-Hye on Kessab Ousoumnasirats celebrates centennial
Lawrence Danny CPA on Kessab Ousoumnasirats celebrates centennial
Stephensmith on Pizza making vending machine invented by Puzant Khachadourian
ALEXANIAN on Astghik Voskerchyan: Every element in my environment has a role in my creations

Categories

  • Applications
  • Chinese Armenians
  • Cyprus Armenians
  • Egyptian Armenians
  • Ethiopian Armenians
  • European Armenians
  • Hrach Kalsahakian
  • Indian Armenians
  • Interviews
  • Iraqi Armenians
  • Lebanese Armenians
  • Music
  • Pan-Armenian News
    • Art
    • Books
    • Business
    • Celebrations
    • Courses and Camps
    • Documentaries
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Festivals
    • Genocide
    • History
    • Interviews
    • Language
    • Poetry
    • Politics
    • Tourism
  • Religion
  • Syrian Armenians
  • Turkish Armenians
  • UAE Armenians
  • Websites
  • Հայերեն բաժին
  • القسم العربي

CUSTOM LINKS

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Social Media

RANDOM POSTS

item-thumbnail

Traditional Armenian Pilgrimage in Chinsurah

item-thumbnail

Եզակի Կապանն իր եզակի կառույցով

item-thumbnail

Մեկնարկեց «Արի Տուն – 2018» ուսումնաճանաչողական ծրագրի 2-րդ փուլը

TAG CLOUD

Armenian Art Armenian Catholics Armenian Christmas Armenian Costumes Armenian Genocide Armenian Songs Armenian Velvet Revolution Azad-Hye Celebrations Cyprus Armenians Daniel Varoujan Hejinian Diaspora Armenians Education Emma Kant Emma Karapetyan Ethiopian Armenians Garni Geghard Genocide Goris Greece Hidden Armenians History Iraqi Armenians Kessab Kessabtzis Krikor Jabotian Language Lebanese Armenians Meri Martirosyan Music Music Application Nana Aramyan Nikol Pashinyan Norway Ottoman Empire Paris Speech Therapy Syrian Armenians Syunik Turkey Turkish Armenians UAE Armenians Vardavar Western Armenia

Azad-Hye on FLICKER

© 2021 Azad-Hye . Designed by Wpinhands
Scroll