Tiffany & Co.

Founded in 1837, by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, Tiffany’s began life as a small ‘stationary and fancy goods emporium’ in Brooklyn, Connecticut. The store was initially called ‘Tiffany, Young and Ellis’ after the founders.

Tiffany’s is now New York’s most iconic jewellery store, thanks in part to the 1961 cinematic interpretation of Truman Capote’s novel ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. And it’s unique Robin’s Egg Blue packaging.

Robin’s Egg Blue

The name was shortened in to ‘Tiffany & Company’ in 1853 when Charles Tiffany took over and began specialising exclusively in jewellery and silver. By 1867 Tiffany’s was the first US jewellery house to be win an award for excellence at the Paris Exposition Universelle. In 1870 they opened a store in Manhattan. The store located at 15 Union Square West was designed by John Kellum. The New York Times dubbed the $500,000 building a ‘palace of jewels’.

Tiffany Yellow Diamond

In 1878 the Tiffany’s bought one of the world’s largest and finest fancy yellow diamond. The rough stone weighed a monumental 287.42 carats upon its discovery in 1877 at the Kimberly mine, South African. The world renowned gemmologist, George Frederick Kunz worked with Tiffany’s for years to plan how the stone was to be re-cut. Kunz was only 23 years old when charged with the task. Finally it was agreed to reshape the stone into a cushion, to enhance its brilliance. The new cut had 84 facets and the weight was reduced to a still impressive 128.54 carats.

Bird On the Rock

This unique fancy vivid yellow stone, is the largest in the world. It has been named the ‘Tiffany Yellow Diamond’, and after being cut was set into the ‘Bird on the Rock’ brooch by Jean Schlumberger. It has only been worn by three women in public since its discovering: it was first worn by Mrs E. Sheldon Whitehouse for the 1957 Tiffany Ball set into a necklace. Audrey Hepburn then wore the stone for a publicity photograph in 1961 for the film release of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. In recent years Lady Gaga wore the diamond at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.

French Crown Jewels

In 1887, Tiffany’s again attracted public attention by buying pieces during the auction of the French Crown Jewels. The firm was now well established as a source of world class gems. By the end of the 20th century, Tiffany & Co. had become and international enterprise, with stores across the Atlantic in Paris, London and Geneva.

Tiffany & Co. is unusual in openly fostering designers under their own name. Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso being two prominent women designers who have worked for several prolific decades with Tiffany’s.

LVMH Group

In 2019 Tiffany & Co. made headlines with its $16.2 billion dollar sale to the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group (LVMH).

Tiffany’s revolutionized the setting of what we now think of the traditional solitaire diamond engagement ring. Tiffany’s innovative setting reduced the metal bezel to a few prongs holding the diamond securely in place. This allows more light through to increase the brilliance of the diamond.

Ever encouraging of fostering emerging creative talent, Tiffany & Co, hosted an exhibition for 7 arts school graduates in London 2018. The show was held in collaboration with the Outset Contemporary Art Fund to award the Studio-makers Prize.

See Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso pages for more on their collections for Tiffany’s.