PROMINENT PIECES

MAHARAJA NECKLACE circa 1795

Originally made for the Maharajah of Junagadh, which at the time was the largest princely states of India during a period when Indians traded spices with Columbian’s for their emeralds. This historical piece features five strands of 900 carats of old mined emeralds and natural pearls.

VICTORIAN SERPENT BRACELET circa 1850

Sophisticated and glamourous, this Victorian serpent bracelet is extremely rare and a favorite of the Kazanjian’s. Designed in France and made up of 22 carats of exceptional old mine Columbian emeralds and approximately 7 carats of old mined diamonds.

 THE EDWARDIAN DIAMOND TIARA circa 1910

A tiara fit for British royalty or Madonna on her marriage to Guy Richie in 2000. Made up of 765 old cut diamonds with two large 2.5 carat diamonds, weighing 78 carats this stunning head piece was originally designed and crafted by The Queen’s jeweler Garrand, later acquired by the firm Asprey-Garrand, loaned to Madonna on her betrothal, and purchased by the Kazanjian’s in 2004. The tiara is currently on display at Kazanjian Gem Gallery in Beverly Hills.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS ART DECO BRACELET circa 1930

Sparkling with light and artistic movement this essential Deco design bracelet is rumored to be one of the greatest pieces ever to be designed by Van Cleef and Arpels. Constructed in platinum and featuring five 5 carat center diamonds, surrounded by several smaller diamonds, weighing an estimated 100 carats in an intricate and sophisticated pattern.

BLACK STAR OF QUEENSLAND 1949

The single most important acquisition made by the Kazanjian brothers brining the family notoriety and fame. The exceptional gem is a 733 carat six-pointed star, oval shaped cabochon cut sapphire surrounded by 35 pear shaped sparkling white diamonds in a white gold setting. The prized piece was rarely seen in public except for occasional charity functions and a brief appearance on Cher in 1971. After several offers, the Kazanjian’s decisively sold the stone in 2002. The Black Star of Queensland sits in obscurity with its owner in Switzerland.

MONTANA SAPPHIRE 1965

When most sapphires were being mined in Burma and Sri Lanka, the Kazanjian’s purchased an obscure Yogo Gulch mine in Montana, producing some of the most renowned sapphires. From these, Stan Kazanjian designed one of the single most important pieces of American jewelry in the world. Made up of 178 carats of unmatched quality sapphires and 6 carats of diamonds, this majestic necklace was featured in “The Jeweled Garden”, a book of some of the world’s most treasured gems articulated in floral motifs.

MEXICAN OPAL late 1960’s/early 1970’s

With the help of a gentleman named Ramon, James and Stan Kazanjian traveled to a remote area in Mexico and through some negotiation, excitement and possibly some tequila, bought an abundance of rough-cut Mexican opals directly from the mines. Father and son returned to Los Angeles only to flood the market with these luminous and fiery gems, which in turn became very lucrative and the beginning of the Mexican opal boom.

MID CENTURY BULGARI RUBY AND DIAMOND BRACELET circa 1970

The American Gemological Laboratory described the Burmese rubies in this architectural delight as some as some of the highest quality ever known. This unusual geometric 35 carat ruby and 20 carat diamond 18K cuff is considered to be a collector’s item.

 

THE LIBERTY BELL RUBY 1976

Discovered in East Africa in the legendary King Solomon’s Mines, the 8500 carat Liberty Bell Ruby is one of the world’s largest ruby’s in the world. In 1976 the Kazanjian’s commissioned Alfonso de Vivanco to fashion the ruby in the shape of the Liberty Bell to honor the United States Bicentennial in the same spirit of the sapphire busts of the American presidents.

THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. SAPPHIRE SCULPTURE 1983

In 1983 prolific Russian artist, Vasily Konovalenko was commissioned by the Kazanjian’s to carve the late Civil Rights activist likeness onto a sapphire bust. The Martin Luther King Jr. bust is the fifth sapphire creation joined by a collection of four others sculpted in the likeness of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Eisenhower. All gifts to the American people from the Kazanjian’s, the bust of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is on display at the Kazanjian Gem Gallery in Beverly Hills, while the others sit on display in the White House.

STAR OF JOLIE 2011

In 2011, Michael Kazanjian commissioned private jewelry designer, Robert Procop who partnered with actress, Angelina Jolie. The two collaborated and designed on what is dubbed the Star of Jolie, an 800 carat, pear shape, black star sapphire pendant suspended from an 18K rose gold necklace of 70 additional sapphires. The Oscar winner’s design is currently on display at the Kazanjian Gem Gallery in Beverly Hills.

 

TOUCH OF GREEN ENVY 2011

This spectacular and classically designed enormous 17.30 carat fancy yellow green diamond ring with two 1.41 and 1.26 carat trillion side stones set in a platinum adorned with fancy pink diamonds is uncommonly valuable.

EXCEPTIONAL CEYLON ALEXANDRITE 2013

Specifically written about in the American Gem Laboratory book for its rarity and beauty this world class 20.86 carat emerald cut Alexandrite can change colors from raspberry red to olive green and is wonderfully surrounded in twelve brilliant oval cut white and pink diamonds.

 

38.80 CARAT CEYLON SAPPHIRE 2013

The magnitude of this natural unheated Burmese Ceylon sapphire is an absolute rarity as described by the American Gem Laboratory set with 2 halfmoon diamonds side stones of 2.17 carats and 2.23 carats both with certificates from the Gemological Institute of America stating that they are D color, VVS2 and VVS1 clarity. 

 

53 CARAT CUSHION-CUT DIAMOND 2013

This unbelievably outsized 53 carat diamond in an uncommon fancy light gray, greenish yellow color according to the Gemological Institute of America certificate.

 

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS SAPPHIRE PENDANT 2015

Breathtaking 17.83 carat oval unheated Burmese sapphire pendant hanging from a diamond necklace. Pendant is detachable and can be worn as a ring and necklace can be converted into bracelets.

 

UNIQUE ASSHER-CUT, 22 CARAT D FLAWLESS, DIAMOND RING

Classic and timeless, a 22 carat Asscher cut diamond ring, mounted in platinum, reminiscent of a Porter Rhodes design.