Copper is one of the oldest natural materials that ancient Armenians used for making jewelry, but that doesn’t mean it is the least bit old-fashioned. When you visit the Buduart workshop and studio in Dilijan, local artists Arman Badeyan and Margarita Malkhasyan will teach you how to create your own copper jewelry under their expert guidance.
The dynamic husband-and-wife team—both graduates of the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Art—enjoy sharing their artistic talents with visitors to Dilijan. Arman will show you how to carefully twist soft copper wires into intricate jewelry designs to make earrings, hairpins, rings, and necklaces. After an hour or so, you’ll have a brand new piece of handmade jewelry to wear!
Many of Arman’s and Margarita’s designs and paintings come directly from the town's beautiful natural surroundings. Other sources are the rich ethnographic materials in the Local Lore Museum of Dilijan—especially its ancient jewelry collection, which you may wish to visit before Buduart for additional inspiration. Of course, both Buduart and the Local Lore Museum offer artistic gifts for purchase.
In addition to their jewelry-making workshop, Arman and Margarita also offer painting lessons and a batik-painting workshop at their studio. So come spend a couple of hours sipping on some tea, coffee, or wine while you stimulate your creative side!
Meet your host
Dilijan’s beautiful natural setting and “drunk forests” of swaying pine trees have long inspired Arman Badeyan and Margarita Malkhasyan. As painters and jewelry makers, the couple founded Buduart studio, a gallery which combines a space for guests to explore their creative side while enjoying the company of friends and potentially a glass of wine. At the Buduart workshop and gallery, artists, art lovers and craft enthusiasts may gather to make jewelry or paint batik in a relaxing friendly environment under Arman and Margarita’s guidance.
