Tiffany Jewellery

The Tiffany brand began in New York in 1837, when Charles Lewis Tiffany and his friend, John Young, set up a store selling not gemstones, but high-quality stationery, Chinese porcelain, French accessories and some silver jewellery – the sort of luxury goods that affluent New York society was beginning to crave.

In 1841 European jewellery with faux diamonds was added to this range.

With a real sense for merchandising, in 1845 Tiffany launched a mail order catalogue, widening the market for its goods well beyond New York.
The company then made a seamless transition from retailing paste jewels to the real thing. France in the late 1840s saw the collapse of King

Louis Philippe’s reign, financial turmoil and the impoverishment of many European aristocrats – an opportunity for Tiffany to acquire and offer for sale real diamond jewellery. From then on Tiffany sold only jewellery with real gemstones. Charles Lewis Tiffany was a good publicist, never hesitating to announce new acquisitions in the New York press and earning himself the nickname, ‘the king of diamonds’. He took overall control of the company in 1853, when the name was shortened to Tiffany and Co.

Innovation and quality were central to the business. By the 1850s the company was producing its own sterling silver items. The Tiffany-Moore technique was introduced to mass produce silver jewellery pieces that are then hand finished. It is still in use today. Tiffany was the first company to use the 925/1000 formula of silver purity, subsequently adopted by the United States Congress as the standard for sterling silver. 
Creativity and craftsmanship also characterised the company. Tiffany designers turned away from the over-elaborate Victorian style and took their inspiration instead from the fluid forms of nature.

International acclaim was achieved through exhibiting at trades fairs. Charles Lewis Tiffany took the gold prize at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle.

Another 1878 landmark was the acquisition by Tiffany’s of the biggest yellow diamond ever found. Discovered in South Africa, and weighing 287.42 carats (57.484 g) in the rough, the stone was cut to 128.54 carats (25.708 g). This beautiful piece has often been exhibited at the Fifth Avenue store.

In 1883 Tiffany became the designated jeweller for Queen Victoria, and this led to the company becoming official jeweller for the heads of state of Russia, Austria, Spain, Italy, Egypt and Persia.

Tiffany and Company fully understood the potential of the sturdy metal, platinum in jewellery design. 1886 saw the launch of the Tiffany solitaire engagement ring with a casing with a six-prong claw, allowing light from beneath to set off the solitaire like a thousand fires. This, combined with the company’s rigorous selection of superior-quality diamonds, makes the Tiffany solitaire engagement ring legendary.

Tiffany and Company was the largest buyer at the sale of the French Crown Jewels in 1887, where they acquired a diamond necklace formerly belonging to the Empress Eugénie.

TIFFANY’S CLASSIC PIECES

The Tiffany Diamond 

The Tiffany fancy yellow diamond is in itself a remarkable piece. It was cut as a cushion shaped Stellar Cut Brilliant with 90 facets. In this way it retained a weight over the important threshold of 100 carats and was given ‘the effect of a smothered, smouldering fire [rather] than one of flashing radiance.’ So said the eminent gemmologist who designed the cutting of the stone.

The Schlumberger Necklace

The 1950s was the era of the artist-jeweller. In 1956 Tiffany appointed the renowned Jean Schlumberger as a designer. He set the Tiffany Yellow

Diamond into a necklace of asymmetric interlacing diamond encrusted ribbons. In 1961 this was worn by Audrey Hepburn in the publicity photo-shoot for the film of Truman Capote’s novella, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’.

The Schlumberger Bird on a Rock BroochIt was said of Jean Schlumberger that his Tiffany designs ‘were remarkable for their whimsical interpretations of natural forms. He was especially inspired by sea creatures and other animals’.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Bird on a Rock Brooch, which also incorporated the Tiffany Yellow Diamond.

Tiffany & Co. has long since established itself as the leading source of designer jewellery – not only in the United States – but all over the world. Receiving a blue box from Tiffany is almost a prerequisite to thinking that you are the luckiest person in the whole world. That’s because everybody knows that what Tiffany sells costs quite a pretty amount of money. So, being presented with a piece of silver or gold jewellery from the company means that the gift presenter has just done something truly remarkable.

The History Of Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. started as Tiffany & Young back in September 1837 with Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young. The store rocketed to popularity and patronisation when it denied requests of negotiation and haggling when it comes to the trinkets and lovely things that they have on their window cases. The quality of the products that they sold was enough to explain the hefty price that the company was asking.

Tiffany & Young became Tiffany & Co. in 1853. Since then, Tiffany has gone on to prove that it is not just another jewellery store. During the Civil War in America, Tiffany supplied the Union Army with surgical instruments, swords and other army supplies. It has also been granted the honour of redesigning the Great Seal of the United States of America in 1885. In addition, the decision to use ‘carat’ as the standard unit of measurement for precious gems was actively participated in by Tiffany’s chief gemologist.

Tiffany & Co. shot to more popularity when the movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ was released. The movie was shot at Tiffany’s own store in New York, and captivated so many with not only the story line, but the amazing pieces of high-end jewellery that were shown.

Classic Pieces From Tiffany & Co.
If it’s up to women, every Tiffany jewellery is deserving of a lifetime’s worth of attention, care and love. But, over time, the jewellery pieces that have gathered the most attention from people are as follows:

Double Wave Necklace. Tiffany’s Double Wave necklace is a combination of pearl and diamonds. Lots and lots of diamonds. The South Sea pearls are strung together by two lines of platinum and round diamonds. This is offered at £38548.75 or $59,500.

Elsa Peretti Teardrop Earrings. Although this pair of earrings is priced at a smashing 275 dollars, the money that it’s asking for is certainly less than the happiness that it would give to the buyer. One of the most stylish pair of earrings ever wrought, the silver teardrop earrings can captivate anybody’s heart.