Tiffany & Co. is one of the most prominent purveyors of luxury goods in the United States, and has long been an important arbiter of style in the design of diamond engagement rings. A young Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed to his future wife, Eleanor, with a Tiffany ring in 1904. Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Astors and members of the Russian imperial family all wore Tiffany & Co. jewelry. And Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis preferred Tiffany china for state dinners at the White House.
Although synonymous with luxury today, the firm started out rather modestly. Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded it in Connecticut as a “stationery and fancy goods emporium” in 1837, at a time when European imports still dominated the nascent American luxury market. In 1853, Charles Tiffany — who in 1845 had launched the company’s famed catalog, the Blue Book, and with it, the firm’s signature robin’s-egg blue, which he chose for the cover — shifted the focus to fine jewelry.
In 1868, Tiffany & Co. gained international recognition when it became the first U.S. firm to win an award for excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. From then on, it belonged to the pantheon of American luxury brands.
At the start of the Gilded Age, in 1870, Tiffany & Co. opened its flagship store, described as a "palace of jewels" by the New York Times, at 15 Union Square West in Manhattan. Throughout this period, its designs for silver tableware, ceremonial silver, flatware and jewelry were highly sought-after indicators of status and taste. They also won the firm numerous accolades, including the grand prize for silverware at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Among the firm’s glittering creations from this time are masterworks of Art Nouveau jewelry, such as this delicate aquamarine necklace and this lavish plique-à-jour peridot and gold necklace, both circa 1900.
When Charles Lewis Tiffany died, in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany became the firm’s design director. Under his leadership, the Tiffany silver studio was a de facto design school for apprentice silversmiths, who worked alongside head artisan Edward C. Moore. The firm produced distinctive objects inspired by Japanese art and design, North American plants and flowers, and Native American patterns and crafts, adding aesthetic diversity to Tiffany & Co.’s distinguished repertoire.
Tiffany is also closely associated with diamonds, even lending its name to one particularly rare and exceptional yellow stone. The firm bought the Tiffany diamond in its raw state from the Kimberley mines of South Africa in 1878. Cut to create a 128.54-carat gem with an unprecedented 82 facets, it is one of the most spectacular examples of a yellow diamond in the world.
In a broader sense, Tiffany & Co. helped put diamonds on the map in 1886 by introducing the American marketplace to the solitaire diamond design, which is still among the most popular engagement-ring styles. The trademark Tiffany® Setting raises the stone above the band on six prongs, allowing its facets to catch the light. A lovely recent example is this circa-2000 platinum engagement ring. Displaying a different design and aesthetic (but equally chic) is this exquisite diamond and ruby ring from the 1930s.
Find Tiffany & Co. jewelry, serveware and decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Clinton by Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Flatware Set 12 Service 74 Pieces
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Silver lends an unparalleled level of elegance to the home and truly elevates your dining experience. Exquisitely crafted with Tiffany & Co.?s renowned standard of excellence, this C...
Sterling Silver
Salem by Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 12 Dinner Service 87 pcs
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Salem has a contemporary simplicity that focuses on the natural beauty of the sterling silver. Salem by Tiffany & Co. sterling silver Flatware set - 87 pieces. This set includes: ...
Sterling Silver
Century by Tiffany and Co. Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 97 pcs Dinner
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Century (circa 1937) by Tiffany: Century's clean, simple lines and “stepped” pattern typify the American Art Deco style of the 1930s and make it a favorite for contemporary settings...
Sterling Silver
Hamilton aka Gramercy by Tiffany Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 77 pcs
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Hamilton (c.1938) is taken from an early-nineteenth century English design named for America's first Secretary of the Treasure, Alexander Hamilton. The shaped stem, broad top, and no...
Sterling Silver
Flemish by Tiffany and Co Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 76 pieces Dinner
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Tiffany's Flemish pattern was designed in 1911 and is a modification of the English Trifid End pattern of the eighteenth century. A gracefully simple design, Flemish is harmonious wi...
Sterling Silver
Flemish by Tiffany and Co Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 118 pieces Dinner
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Tiffany's Flemish pattern was designed in 1911 and is a modification of the English Trifid End pattern of the eighteenth century. A gracefully simple design, Flemish is harmonious wi...
Sterling Silver
Antique Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 12 by Finnigans Ltd
By Finnigans, London 1
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique and vintage English sterling silver Trefid style pattern flatware service for 12 persons; an addition to our antique flatware sets. The pieces of this exceptional antique and vintage sterling silver flatware...
Silver, Sterling Silver
JEAN TETARD – C.Christofle 144-piece solid silver flatware set, aubusson pattern
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
TOTAL: 144 PIECES. 950/1000 Sterling Silver. Weight: 7140 g net + 1860 g gross. Minerva Hallmark – Art Deco Period, circa 1930 Produced by TETARD FRERES & CHARLES CHRISTOFLE COMPOS...
Silver
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver 98-Piece Flatware Set in English King Pattern
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
Tiffany & Co. sterling silver flatware set in the celebrated English King pattern, adorned with shells and other motifs, consisting of: 8 dinner knives with French blades measur...
Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage German Sterling Silver Flatware Set for Twelve Persons Circa 1970
By Rosenthal
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive vintage German sterling silver Lotus pattern canteen of cutlery for twelve persons made by Rosenthal; an addition to our antique flatware sets. The pieces of this exceptional and extensive vintage German sterling silver cutlery service for twelve persons has been crafted in the Lotus pattern. The lower portion of each handle is embellished with an impressive organic design, all in the iconic Art Nouveau manner. This vintage canteen consists of 112 pieces: Basic Service: 12 Table knives 12 Table forks 12 Dessert knives 12 Dessert forks 12 Dessert spoons 12 Fish/hors d'oeuvre knives 12 Fish/hors d'oeuvre forks 12 Coffee spoons 12 Teaspoons Additional Pieces: Pair of serving spoons Large serving fork Small serving fork The pieces of this silver flatware set, including the original knives, have been crafted by the German silversmith Rosenthal; often this maker manufactured items in a lower grade of silver or silver plate, indicating the high quality of this sterling silver service. This vintage canteen of cutlery is supplied in felt cutlery rolls; which not only protect the items in storage but significantly reduce tarnishing. NOTE: This item contains knives and is only available for sale to persons aged 18 or over. Proof of age will be required upon purchase. Condition This vintage German sterling silver Lotus pattern cutlery set is a superior gauge of silver, exceptional quality and in exceptional condition. Each piece has been professionally polished and is in presentation condition. The German hallmarks struck to the reverse of each piece are all very clear; the hallmarks are struck deeply due to the superior gauge of silver. Reflections in photographs may detract from the true representation of this fine and impressive Rosenthal flatware...
Sterling Silver
Savary & Fils: 182pc. French 950 Sterling Silver Flatware Set, 26 Svg. Pcs. 1880
By Savary Paris 1
Located in Wilmington, DE
Direct from Paris: A magnificent 182pc. Louis XVI, 950 sterling silver flatware set by French silversmith Savary & Fils "Silversmith to the Kings and Queens of Europe". Includes...
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Antique Sterling Silver Flatware Set for 10 by Elkington & Co, 1910
By Elkington & Co.
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George V English sterling silver straight Trefid pattern flatware service for ten persons; an addition to our antique flatware sets...
Silver, Sterling Silver
The actress and Benny Blanco tied the knot with style in Santa Barbara over the weekend.
Diamonds and sapphires still played a starring role, but less popular stones popped up too.
