Our Story

The Iskenderian house shares its family heritage. Ardent travelers and fond of precious stones, has passed on its know-how from generation to generation. It is a dynasty of aesthetes.

Four generations of experts in fine jewelry, goldsmithing and the art market have succeeded one another, developing over the years a mastery of rare metals, gems and the artistic sensations of the different eras.

An Ode to Iskenderian Journeys

A poetic and elaborate invitation to travel, this is the lure of Iskenderian, high-end antique and vintage jewelry house.
At Iskenderian, every piece of jewelry is an invitation to escape. Travel is what forms the spirit and the accounts of adventure by evoking faraway lands where precious stones and rare gems are discovered, brought back via epic sagas.

Iskenderian is also the promise of a journey back in time.
The house transmits these jewels on to collectors or museums, or offers them to individuals wishing to acquire an exclusive piece the exudes history and passion. Every creation conceals the secrets of its manufacture, of its epoch and of the persons who possessed it.
Iskenderian has been actively passing on timeless and eternal treasures for over a century now.

Iskenderian ensures that each piece is unique, handcrafted by goldsmiths, craftsmen and master jewelers with exceptional know-how.

History and Heritage

The family’s story begins more than a century ago in what was once Constantinople, capital of the Ottoman Empire, and a crossroads of the cultures of the East and West.

In Constantinople, Armenian goldsmiths and jewelers, with a centuries-old legacy of creative work with rare metals and precious stones, held strategic positions with the sultan. Armenia has always maintained an ethos of jewelry and goldsmithing, for trade and creating of original works.

In 1893, Agop Iskenderian became the official supplier of gemstones, jewelry and the wares of goldsmiths for the great personalities of the time. He shared his passion for the business with his son, Zarmair, who loved to travel, regularly going off on junkets, often to Paris to meet with illustrious clients and provide them with luxury items.

With the passing years and the travels they embarked on, the family, passionate about rare objects, ameliorated its expertise and passed on its know-how and taste for excellence.

At the end of the 1960s, the third generation of Iskenderians came to Paris, the world capital of high jewelry and glamour. Paris is also the preferred meeting place for art market professionals.

Jacques Iskenderian opened several jewelry stores in Paris, including one located on Rue de la Paix, linking the Place de l’Opéra to Place Vendôme, a key location for fine jewelry and a consummate landmark for connoisseurs from around the world. Another boutique opened at 46 Ave George V, a stone’s throw from the famous Champs- Elysées, where it developed a loyal client base.

In 2006, Laurent Iskenderian established the company’s presence in Switzerland, a symbol of seriousness and rigor, quality and reliability. After obtaining a certificate from the Antwerp Diamond High Council in Belgium, he achieved a reputation as an adept connoisseur of head pieces, colored diamonds and precious stones for major international buyers.

Today, the Iskenderian House hosts clients, specialists and collectors from all over the world in its unique location in the most prestigious part of Geneva, the capital of fine jewelry that is a world focal point for international institutions and the epicenter of business.

In its premises of over 150 sqm spanning two floors and featuring a retro take-off of the 1950s, the Iskenderian house exhibits creations dating from the end of the 19th century to the 1970s. This is the Mecca of tiaras and crowns.

The house displays antique pieces of fine jewelry designed by Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Chaumet, Boucheron and such innovators as Suzanne Belperron, René Boivin, Raymond Templier, Jean Després and Pierre Sterlé.

Iskenderian also hunts for gems for collectors and museums and conducts appraisals. Its reputation for excellence and discretion forged over the years has attracted an international clientele.

Know-how

Iskenderian’s expertise ranges from locating and analysing pieces to consulting and personalized sale of exceptional antique jewelry.

The Hunt

The Iskenderian house scours the world in search of jewels for collectors from all over the world. It is also regularly contacted by international museums who hope to enhance their collections with antique treasures.

The house looks for precious emeralds, sapphires and rubies, natural pearls and rare objects from the Belle Epoque, Art Deco and Art Nouveau eras. In this way, it contributes to accumulating priceless collections.

Confidential Expertise

The company assesses the diamonds for large auction houses or private individuals, authenticating their hallmarks, the quality of gold and precious metals and the purity of the stones. Its experts provide confidential evaluations. Once apprised of a piece’s value, a client may then decide to sell their jewelry and gems.Iskenderian can access selective and prominent jewelry archives and gemology laboratories around the world.

Personalized Sale

This is the path for anyone with a sensitivity for beauty, haute couture and the art of owning antique pieces created by prestigious manufacturers.

This is more than an object, it is an ode to travel through time, materials, eras, imagination, and a multitude of intersecting lives. Here, you enter a universe rife with passion, history, curiosity, imagination and culture.

Iskenderian is a member of:
• International Confederation of Art and Antique Dealers’ Associations (CINOA)
• Swiss Association of Dealers in Art & Antiques (VSAK)
• Swiss Foundation for the Research of Gemstones
• Antwerp Diamond High Council in Belgium