hat’s in a name? In this case, more than might meet the eye. Sartoro is a fusion of Arto and Saro Artinian, brothers born to a family of jewellers, who co-founded the brand in 2001. Sarto is also the Italian word for tailor and sartorial describes the making of clothes (in particular gentlemen’s suits) to measure. It comes as no surprise, then, to learn that alongside its collections, Sartoro has always created bespoke jewellery.

Armenians originally from Damascus in Syria, for the Artinians, jewellery runs in the family. Saro and Arto’s grandfather laid the foundations for the family firm, which he passed to his sons, Souren and Yervant Artinian; both highly regarded jewellers and respectively father and uncle to Saro and Arto. The business flourished under their stewardship and in the 1950s the two men set up a company in Damascus that would become the Artinian Group. The group — which includes the Marli brand, established in New York by Maral Artinian, Arto and Saro’s sister — employs close to a thousand people.

Arto is CEO of Sartoro and Saro is artistic director. Both are based out of Bangkok, travelling between Thailand, Le Locle, where it has workshops, and Geneva where in September 2024 they opened a store at 5-9 Rue du Rhône, adjacent to the company new headquarters.

The Russian model Valery Kaufman commissioned Sartoro for the tiara she wore for her marriage to commodities trader Dimitri Varsano in May 2024.

©Benjamin Wheeler

A family tradition

Alongside its jewellery collections, Sartoro creates bespoke pieces: a service which implies confidentiality although nothing could express its slogan to “unleash your inner radiance” more eloquently than jewellery made especially for the person who will wear it.

“Bespoke is part of our family’s tradition,” says Saro Artinian. “My father was already making jewellery to order when I started working with him in the 1980s. We wished to continue this legacy with Sartoro. Certain clients would come to him for very special pieces, for an important occasion. In those days, women chose jewellery that would show their individuality whereas today, they want to be seen wearing signature pieces by famous names, as a sign of recognition.”

Rihanna’s diamond tattoos

The women who come to Sartoro for bespoke jewellery are looking for more than “just” a unique creation: they want something that says who they are, that reflects their personal taste and, sometimes, culture. For example, the Russian model Valery Kaufman commissioned Sartoro for the tiara she wore for her marriage to commodities trader Dimitri Varsano in May 2024.

Also that year, singer Rihanna asked Sartoro to create diamond tattoos which she could apply to her eyebrows, back and around her ankle. The motif, designed to complement the superstar’s existing ink, was inspired by that year’s Met Gala theme, The Garden of Time. This most original set totalled 1,666 diamonds and took 65 hours from design to the finished creations.

Rihanna’s diamond eyebrow tatoos, a 2024 bespoke creation by Sartoro

“We have customers who are passionate about gems and who come to us with rare stones they have inherited or bought at auction,” Saro Artinian continues. “They ask us to incorporate them into jewellery with the Sartoro touch. Of course, we only accept gems that meet our quality criteria. If this isn’t the case, we invite them to purchase stones from us. We never encourage anyone to embark on a costly process that won’t be justified by the end result. A bespoke creation is equally a showcase for our company and expertise, hence the finished piece must be flawless in every respect.”

From sketch to completion

The ritual that presides over the creation of a bespoke jewel can be likened to haute couture. “We begin by asking the client where she intends to wear the piece, for which occasion. Then we ask to see the dress, how she will style her hair and the size she would like the jewel to be. Based on this, we propose several designs. Most of the time, the customer already has an idea in mind but if she doesn’t, we show her some of our unique pieces from earlier collections, to understand which direction to take. Once we are certain what her preferences are, we make between five and a dozen sketches, always by hand.

These will help the customer narrow down her choices, tell us what she wants or doesn’t want, decide on the size of the jewel and where it will sit on her body. After further adjustments, we present the final sketch. For the next stage, we use digital tools to obtain a more precise rendering of what the finished piece will look like, the size of the stones and also the cost. Once everyone is agreed, we can get to work.”

Valery Kaufman and her bespoke Sartoro’s tiara at her wedding in May 2024

©Benjamin Wheeler

Several months, sometimes up to a year, separate the first meeting from the finished piece, during which time Sartoro will have had around a dozen conversations with the customer. “For a bridal commission, we like to propose something quite striking that will tell a story and adapt perfectly to the client’s gown. We take care to design a piece that transforms into three or four separate jewels which she can wear after the wedding, for less formal occasions.”

Like haute couture, a piece of bespoke jewellery must fit its wearer to perfection. Saro Artinian remembers a particular request: “The client wanted a tiara that would transform into a necklace. We sent someone to take her measurements and make a cast of her head and bust for the initial fittings. A piece of jewellery must always sit perfectly and adapt to the wearer’s movements, hence we have our own techniques for constructing and adjusting a piece. When we delivered the tiara, the client was thrilled to see we had succeeded in transforming her dream into reality.”

An adventure told in jewels and on paper

However, the adventure doesn’t end with the delivery of the finished piece in its presentation case. An artist makes a gouache of the jewel that becomes part of a book which accompanies each bespoke creation, detailing the characteristics of the stones, their certificate of origin and describing how the jewel was crafted. “This is a story we tell together,” insists Saro Artinian.

“One of our most exciting commissions was for a full suite,” he continues. “It posed quite a challenge, firstly because it required a number of large stones and secondly because it had to be completed within a relatively short space of time: three months. Sourcing so many cut diamonds in so little time was almost impossible. We contacted all our suppliers for matching diamonds and also had rough stones cut and polished. This was one of our most stimulating and probably most complex commissions ever but ultimately the customer was delighted with the result.”

Every professional has a role model, someone against whom they measure themselves. For Saro Artinian, that person is his father, Souren. “Whenever I’m working on a project, I think about a piece he made in the 1980s with a velvet backing. I have a very clear memory of my grandmother helping him sew it to the velvet, along with pearls. It was very special. Whenever a piece is proving difficult, I always think back to this jewel and tell myself that if he could do that, then I can find a way round whatever problem I face.”