Tiffany & Co. is probably the most iconic jewelry brand in the world. Its beginnings date back to 1837, when 25-year-old Charles Lewis Tiffany and his friend John Young opened a small shop in New York, with the help of 1,000 dollars borrowed from Charles’s father. Located on Broadway, the shop quickly gained a reputation and became the favorite brand of fashion-loving upper-class ladies, seeking jewelry in a pure American style, which was a distinct departure from the opulence associated with the Victorian era.
Blue Book, pioneering decisions, and worldwide fame
In 1845, Tiffany launched Blue Book, which at that time was the first mail-order catalog distributed in the United States. Almost two centuries later, the annual Tiffany Blue Book catalog is one of the most extensive and beautiful collections in the world of unique couture jewelry, adorned with magnificent gemstones, often of impressive size. Showcasing the brand’s most spectacular works, the book has evolved from line drawings to glossy photographs, and for the contemporary generation raised on technology, a digital version is also included with the catalog.
As the first American company to adopt the British silver standard and use only metal of 92% purity, Tiffany gained international recognition when she won the main award for silver craftsmanship at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1867.
However, it was not until 1878 that the brand gained spectacular fame, forever cementing the association between Tiffany jewelry and diamonds, when the company acquired a stunning 287.42-carat rough yellow Fancy diamond.
A polished diamond, whose mass was reduced to 128.54 carats with 82 facets, was placed in a necklace, which in 1961Audrey Hepburn wore during the advertising campaign for the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, becoming the first woman to receive the honor of wearing this extraordinary crystal. Later named the Tiffany Diamond, the canary-colored gemstone helped cement the jewelry brand’s reputation as a timeless place of luxury and is still located in Tiffany’s flagship store in New York.
The brand also revolutionized the engagement ring market when in 1886 Charles Lewis Tiffany presented the world with the iconic setting The Tiffany Setting.Day by day, an engagement ring with a sharp edge, a hexagonal setting, and a sparkling diamond in the center became a universal symbol of love and commitment, which it remains to this day.
Diamonds and other precious stones
Throughout its history, Tiffany has not only dazzled the world with breathtaking diamonds, but also introduced us to a stunning selection of previously unknown colored gemstones. In 1902, Tiffany presented the world with kunzite, named in honor of the legendary gemologist George Kunz, who discovered this purplish-pink gem in California.In 1910, Tiffany also discovered morganite in Madagascar and named it after one of his most loyal clients – banking magnate John P. Morgan. Then in 1967, tanzanite was discovered, and in 1974, tsavorite. To this day, Tiffany’s gemologists travel to the most remote corners of the world to find the most spectacular gemstones.
Tiffany Blue Box
Trends in jewelry may come and go, but one of the things that has remained unchanged from the very beginning is the distinctive Tiffany Blue Box. Widely regarded as the most recognizable and desirable packaging in the world, the color (in its signature blue-green shade), the box, and the white satin ribbon are trademarks, just like the term Tiffany Blue Box. Charles Lewis Tiffany ruled that boxes could only be received with the purchase of Tiffany jewelry, which prompted the New York Times to write in 1906: “Tiffany has one thing in his store that you cannot buy from him (…). It is one of his boxes.” During the filming of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in the New York store on the corner of Fifth Avenue, 40 armed guards were hired to prevent the theft of any of the famous blue boxes.
Contemporary times
Today, Tiffany has over 300 stores and employs 12,200 people worldwide. Since 2013, Francesca Amfitheatrof has been at the creative helm of the brand, becoming the first woman to hold the position of Design Director. Francesca is recognized as the person who has led Tiffany in a new, fresh direction while preserving the essence and spirit of the iconic brand.
Diamond Jewelry
Our jewelry workshop – https://79diamenty.pl/en/home/ – offers a wide range of engagement jewelry – ready-made designs for viewing are available on the studio’s homepage. However, we specialize in creating exceptional and unique personalized jewelry, so if you are planning to propose, or simply want to gift yourself or a loved one a piece of beauty and luxury, we warmly invite you to contact our jewelry designer.