Ara’s jewelry is illustrative of the complexity of his understanding of gemstones and their most nuanced characteristics. Many of the pieces he creates push the properties of the gemstones and materials with which he works to the extreme of their boundaries, highlighting their most intensely beautiful qualities. His finished pieces are the result of an intimate dialogue he has with the gemstones, a journey of divination that pushes each to reveal the true essence of their character, “The stones speak to me and reveal their inexplicably beautiful geological uniqueness,” explains the designer.

Throughout his body of work, Ara has distinguished himself with several iconic designs. His three-finger rings and Octopus rings are immediately identifiable as Ara Vartanian designs that embody the artist’s ethos of being mindful of the architecture and construction of his designs to create full comfort and dexterity of natural movement. His unprecedented, inverted settings—with gemstones and diamonds set upside down—not only create an avant-garde aesthetic, they also put the widest part of the stone, the table, in direct contact with the skin, inviting an intense energy flow from geological wonder to wearer.

As evidenced in all of his designs, most overtly seen in his signature geometric pieces, achieving balance is a core component of his creative process. In his distinctive asymmetrical designs, the beauty of colored gemstones in different shapes and sizes results in a sense of balance that occurs as unexpected. Authenticity and integrity are integral to Ara’s creative process; he is compelled to honor his vision without compromise, and he is drawn to highlighting the beauty in opposite elements, both raw and refined. His familiarity with gemstone mining and his access to rough materials perfectly positions the artist to speak out about the importance of sustainability and transparency in mining, and he is committed to promoting and protecting environmental and ethical standards, not just within his own company, but throughout the industry.