Meet Rupina
RupiGems began with loose pearls and forgotten treasures I found in my mother’s jewelry store. Growing up, I spent countless hours there, drawn to the materials — their textures, their weight, and the way they felt in my hands.
In 2021, the spark to bring this project to life appeared quietly. I was spending many days with my grandmother, who was living with Alzheimer’s. Even with a few words, she would gently encourage me to create. Her presence stayed with me and became part of this beginning.
RupiGems is also a way for me to honour my roots. Pearl beading was once a family venture that helped build stability when they first arrived in Montreal. Through this work, I allowed that story to evolve into a vision of everyday luxury — one that feels personal, welcoming, and already within us.
Today, I hand-thread each piece myself, often alongside my mother, Sylvie, using freshwater pearls, fine gems, and natural materials chosen with intention. I create pieces that feel soft, elegant, grounding, and wearable — delicate yet strong, meaningful yet refined.
Alongside my collections, I offer custom commissions, working one-on-one to create pieces that feel deeply personal and aligned. This includes designing new pieces from intention, as well as transforming heirlooms into something renewed and meaningful.
I also host private pearl beading gatherings for bridal celebrations, birthdays, and special occasions — intimate spaces where creation becomes part of the memory itself.
My approach
RupiGems is not just a jewelry line. It lives inside of me.
My relationship with pearls and gems reaches far beyond my own lifetime.
It is woven through my family, my lineage, and a cultural tradition of craftsmanship.
Armenians have long been known as artisans and jewelers,
people who shape beauty with their hands.
Even my family name carries this story.
Tashjian comes from tash, meaning stone, and translates to “family of the stone worker.”
When my family arrived in Canada, threading and knotting pearls became a way to support themselves. What began as a small side hustle working for a relative’s company eventually became a family effort. They worked together, thread by thread.
These stories live within me.
Working with pearls feels both chosen and inherited.I chose them, and in many ways, they chose me.
This craft lives in my bones — through my mother’s and father’s lineage, and through a long Armenian tradition of craftsmanship.
Each piece I create is made with care and reverence for the hands that came before mine.
I share these pieces in honour, gratitude, and love — for beauty, for craft, and for the resilience of my family and lineage.