Glitter and glamour: the tale of Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany Blue and the company's famed sterling silver pieces are as much a part of pop culture as any jewelry brand can hope to be. Yet beyond that, Tiffany & Co. encompasses a world of diamonds, celebrities, and all-out luxury. But how did it get there?
The jewelry giant started out as a stationery shop run by two men searching for the American Dream. Today, the company owns some of the most expensive jewelry in the world. Its customers have been and are the creme of society. Its glass and gems are celebrated as the finest around. Glamour floods through every vein of Tiffany & Co.
Intrigued? If you want to find out how some of the finest treasures we know came into being, click through this gallery.
Luxury
Tiffany & Co. was established as a luxury brand, but in a different sense than traditionally known. In Europe, luxury was for the aristocrats, nobility, and royals. But in the United States, everyone could aspire to have it. It was a more inclusive notion of luxury that appealed to many consumers.
Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902)
In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and his partner, John B. Young, started their own shop. They intended to sell stationary and some fancy goods.
Going solo
In 1953, Tiffany took complete control of the firm, and the shop became Tiffany and Company. Here are Tiffany and his wife around that time.
World's Fair of 1868
The pieces were so beautiful that they were awarded the prize for best silverware at the World's Fair in Paris in 1868.
Trends change
By the mid-1850s, jewelry was becoming more fashionable for all women, not just the elite. Tiffany gaged the desires of his customers and started to specialize in jewelry making.
Can't spare a dime
The story goes that Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) met with Charles Lewis Tiffany to discuss buying the pearls. Lincoln asked if he could get a discount because he would soon be president. Boldly, Tiffany replied that no one gets a discount at Tiffany and Company.
The Empress falls
Empress Eugénie was deposed in 1870 and some of her giant collection of jewelry was to be sold.
The seal
Tiffany & Company did not stick to one field. They also redesigned the US seal which remains on the one dollar bill.
Domestically made
Most of the jewelry was still being made in New York by the best jewelers in the US.
The Tiffany diamond
Clever Charles Lewis Tiffany purchased the gem for US$18,000. Nowadays, accounting for inflation, he would have paid $44,300. However, it is now regarded as so valuable that it is priceless.
Stained glass
Tiffany reintroduced stained glass into the mainstream. He used designs of nature with wonderful green and blue hues to decorate lampshades and windows.
Fifth Avenue
In 1940, the company had become large enough to merit buying a great store in the heart of Manhattan. Here is the 5th Avenue Tiffany & Co. building that features in the film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961).
Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)
The company also takes commissions. Elizabeth Taylor was famously in a deeply romantic relationship with actor Richard Burton (1925-1984), and upon the release of his film 'The Night of the Iguana' (1964), he gave this magnificent brooch to her as a gift.
Kate Winslet
Tiffany & Co. often showcases its most glorious pieces with celebrities. Here is Kate Winslet on the red carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. This necklace has been valued at US$2.5 million.
