TIFFANY & CO.
Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902)
In 1837, Tiffany & Co., the most renowned of American jewelers, opened its doors in New York City as Tiffany & Young. Its specialties were fancy goods and stationary. While initially carrying only a small selection of jewelry, most of which was costume, owners Charles Lewis Tiffany and John P. Young soon expanded their business to fine jewelry imported from Europe. In 1848, Young turned up in Paris for a buying trip whilst France’s second revolution raged. Nobles loyal to King Louis-Phillipe and desperate to flee Paris, sold their
diamonds to him at heavily discounted rates and in large quantities. Thereafter diamonds were an integral part of Tiffany’s stock. In 1850, Tiffany opened an office in Paris at 79
Rue de Richelieu. Its presence in Paris allowed the firm to keep abreast of the newest trends from Europe. In 1853, Charles Lewis Tiffany gained sole control of the firm and changed its name to the more familiar, Tiffany & Co.. In 1870, the firm opened its famous Union Square location in New York.
As the century wore on, Tiffany became a trendsetter in its own right.
George Frederick Kunz secured a steady supply of unusual gemstones for the firm’s jewelry:
Montana sapphires, Mexican
turquoise and fire
opals,
tourmalines from New England, Russian
demantoid garnets.
Edward Moore and
Paulding Farnham, Tiffany’s designers, turned to historical sources for design inspiration as well as to so-called exotic cultures and, most simply, to nature. Their innovative work won acclaim at international expositions (Paris 1878, 1884, 1889, 1900; Chicago 1893). At the 1900 Paris Exposition, the firm won the Grand Prize for jewelry. It was the first time an American firm was bestowed with this honor. The prize-winning collection featured North American gemstones and motifs, including “an Aztec collar of gold in which Mexican fire opals…daringly juxtaposed with red tourmalines” and “an astonishing
tiara composed of tiers of ever-expanding
scrollwork…set with turquoise from New Mexico."
[1] Louis Comfort Tiffany, Charles’s heir, further enhanced the firm’s reputation for innovative design and helped to usher in the
Art Nouveau era in decorative arts and jewelry. His pieces were often inspired by nature; dragonflies and Queen Anne’s Lace were among his favorite subjects. Softly colored
enamels and mixtures of precious and semi-precious gemstones tend to embellish his pieces. After his father died in 1902, Louis Comfort Tiffany assumed control of firm and, in 1908, became Tiffany's director of design. He led the firm through the
Art Deco era and into the
Retro age. In 1939, Lewis Comfort Tiffany died.
It was not until 1955 that a new director of design was found. In 1955, newly minted company president Walter Hoving hired Van Day Trueux for the position. The New York Herald Tribune called Trueux, “splendidly opinionated, emphatically outspoken, and dead right".[2] It was Trueux’s idea to invite Jean Schlumberger, a well-connected socialite and previously a fashion jewelry designer for Elsa Schiaparelli, to create individualized pieces for Tiffany. The choice was an unqualified success. Schlumberger brought famous friends and a strong sense of whimsy to the company. His signature pieces featured animal motifs embellished with bold enamel and large, bright gemstones. He also created Tiffany’s classic ribbed and studded “X” bangles. When Schlumberger departed, the firm continued to feature individual designers. In the last half of the twentieth century, designers like Donald Claflin (1965-mid 70’s), Angela Cummings (late 60’s-early 80’s), Elsa Peretti (1974-present), Paloma Picasso (1980-present), and now Frank Gerhy (2005-present) have kept Tiffany’s image, and inventory, fresh.
Jewelry
|
|  Diamond and Yellow Gold Earrings.  Turquoise and Yellow Gold Earrings.  Sapphire and Yellow Gold Ring c.1900.  Yellow Gold Paloma Picasso Earrings.  Schlumberger Yellow Gold Cuff Links  Retro Ruby and Diamond, Yellow Gold Leaf Brooch.  Diamond and Sapphire and Yellow Sea Urchin Pins.
|
Notes
Sources consulted
- Becker, Vivenne. "The Tiffany Names: Tiffany and the Cult of the Individual Designer-Jeweller." In Bejewelled by Tiffany, ed. Clare Phillips, 82-99. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006.
- Phillips, Clare. Bejewelled by Tiffany: 1837-1987. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006.
- This book features a compilation of articles about the history of Tiffany by Clare Phillips, Katherine Purcell, Ulysses Grant Dietz, Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Vivenne Becker, and John Loring. Highly recommended.
- Loring, John. Tiffany Jewels. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999.
- Loring has been the director of design at Tiffany since 1979. This is one of many books he has published about the history of Tiffany and Company.
Online books
Related topics
