Armenians
have
earned
for
themselves
a
distinction
as
great
artisans.
Whether
it's
ceramics,
pottery,
photography
or
jewelry,
the
product
of
their
handiwork
always excels.
Among
the
Armenians
of
Jerusalem,
the
art
of
turning
gold
and
precious
stones
into
works
of
art
has
been
unparalleled.
Melkon
Babigian
stands
out
as
one
of
the
most
prominent
kaghakatsi
goldsmiths
and
jewellers.
In
his
heyday,
his
was
the
ultimate
in
precious
metals
and
stones
perfection, and he wielded his expertise with astute savvy.
But
later
generations
would
outdo
his
virtuosity,
with
their
more
daring
and
inspirational
handiwork.
Some
of
them,
like
Setrag
Hagopian,
would
receive
their
apprenticeship at the hands of the great maestro, Garo Guloyan.
Setrag
was
born
in
the
Armenian
Quarter
of
the
Old
City
-
his
father,
Abraham,
(the
"king
of
wool")
was
a
prosperous
merchant
and
the
family
of
eight
moved
to
a
mansion
he
had
bought
in
West
Jerusalem,
only
to
flee
seek
sanctuary
in
the
Old
City
when
the
1948
Arab
Israeli war broke out.
In
Guloyan's
workshop,
in
the
cobblestoned
alleys
of
Jerusalem,
Setrag
found
it
hard
at
first
and
had
to
struggle
to
hone
the
skill
and
nurture
the
creativity
that
would
come
into
full fruition later when he set up his own business in Sydney, Australia.
But
his
initiation
into
the
Australian
goldsmith
and
jewellery
industry
came
after
much
travail
and
trepidation.
Like
most
other
migrants,
he
had
to
take
up
whatever
job
was
on
offer
before
he
could
find
his
niche
in
the
Lucky
Country
he
had
come
to.
One
of
the
first
jobs
he
undertook
was
to
pain
some
walls.
Although
he
knew
nothing
about
painting,
aside
from
moving
a
brush
up
and
down,
he
managed
to
get
less
paint
on
his
overalls
than
he
did
on the walls.
His supervisor was not amused.
"You are no painter," he proclaimed.
"I am a designer," Setrag replied.
The supervisor could only gape.
He
was
not
the
first
or
last
one
to
be
rendered
speechless
by
Setrag
who
would
soon
come
into
his
own,
and
indulge
his
creativity
in
coaxing
breathtaking
shapes
of
gold
and
jewellery, to a long list of satisfied customers.