You’ve likely heard the name before. It’s the resplendent jewelry store whose name, color, and legacy are synonymous with luxury: Tiffany and Co. They’re a successful design house and it’s estimated that nearly 29% of their worldwide sales come from custom engagement rings and custom wedding bands. Marriage is a popular market, what can we say.
Where did this all come from? Diamond jewelry is entrancing and all, but the name Tiffany, what’s behind it? It’s a spectacular and winding tale that begins in 1830s New York City.
A Fany Kid
Charles Tiffany and John Young were 25 years old when they decided to open a store. They liked nice things, so they opened a store literally to sell fancy things: “stationery and fancy goods” is the exact wording. At this point in time, anything of note in the design universe came from Europe, the undisputed fashion and design hub of the world. The United States hadn’t made so much as a dent in that industry. Little did Europe know, a couple of kids would be making a splash very soon.
The International Splash
Twenty years after opening (and a great deal of learning), they made their splash in Paris by being the first American designers to ever claim international recognition at the Paris World’s Fair. In the three short years after that, their silver studio would be the first American design school and the name would only continue to grow.
Perhaps you’ve heard the term Tiffany Diamond. Most people have at least heard the term and apply it to diamonds at the jewelry store designed after the fashion of Mr. Tiffany and his company. Now the largest diamond to ever be found is called the Cullinan diamond, weighing in at 3,106 carats. Tiffany didn’t get that one (it hadn’t been discovered yet), but purchased the Kimberley diamond, weighing 287.42 carats. It was cut down to 128.54 carats and would become THE Tiffany Diamond. Its renown would blast an already successful company into the stratosphere.
Famous Design Tid-Bits
Charles Tiffany died in 1902, but his legacy and design magnificence are everlasting. These are a few things designed by Tiffany and Co.
- The Congressional Medal of Honor
- The Great Seal of the United States (1885 redesign)
- Every Vince Lombardi Trophy since the first one
The list of Tiffany designs is exceedingly lengthy, especially given the glamour of his career and legacy thereafter. The past, present, and future pinnacle of custom jewelry design, Tiffany and Co. designs and inspirations are favorites in any jewelry store across the world.
