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.
Rat Tail by Tiffany and Co. Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 100 pcs Dinner
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Monumental Dinner & Lunch Size Rat Tail by Tiffany and Co. (made in England) Sterling Silver Flatware set - 100 pieces. This pattern features fabulous pistol grip handles. This set i...
Sterling Silver
Rattail by Arthur Stone Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 77 Pieces Rat Tail
By Arthur J. Stone
Located in Big Bend, WI
Arthur J. Stone (1847-1938) was a leading silversmith from Gardner, Massachusetts. He was trained and worked in Sheffield, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland prior to coming to the U.S. in 1884. He was one of the last silversmiths in America to train apprentices to carry out designs in hand wrought...
Sterling Silver
Rat Tail by Spaulding England Sterling Silver Flatware Set Service 89 Pieces
By Spaulding & Company
Located in Big Bend, WI
Timeless rat tail by Spaulding Co. (ENGLAND) sterling silver flatware set - 89 pieces. This set includes: 12 dinner knives, 9 3/4" 11 forks, 3-tine, 7 1/4" 12 salad forks, 3-tine, 6 1/2" 11 teaspoons, 6" 12 place soup spoons, 6 3/4" 12 hollow handle all-sterling butter...
Sterling Silver
Windham by Tiffany and Co Sterling Silver Flatware Service Set 71 pcs Dinner
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
Designed with an eye for balance and proportion, each piece of Tiffany & Co. flatware is a masterpiece of form and function. Windham was first introduced by Tiffany in 1923. It w...
Sterling Silver
Rattail by CJ Vander Sterling Silver Flatware Set 12 Service Dinner 85 pcs
By C.J. Vander
Located in Big Bend, WI
C.J. Vander was the last of England's preeminent silver firms, creating exceptional silver masterpieces using the time-honored traditions of the silversmith's art. In fact, they were one of the last remaining English flatware makers to employ the age old method of hand forging flatware, where each piece of silver starts out as an ingot and is formed by a silversmith using a hammer. After the pieces were forged they would be hammered flat, polished, chased and decorated, and then polished again, with all of these processes accomplished by hand. Though time-consuming, such craftsmanship ensured a product that was superior in every possible way. It was this firm's steadfast commitment to quality that made them the favorite of both royalty and nobility alike throughout Europe. Rattail English sterling silver flatware set, 85 pieces. This set includes: 12 Dinner Size Knives, 9 5/8" 12 Dinner Size Forks, 8" 12 Luncheon / Dessert Knives, 8 5/8" 12 Luncheon / Dessert Forks, 6 7/8" 12 Small Teaspoons, 4 3/4" 12 Dessert Spoons, 6 3/4" 12 Large Dinner Spoons, 8 1/8" 1 Gravy Ladle, 7 1/2" Includes bonus brand new storage chest - styles vary. The Dinner Forks, Teaspoons, Dinner Spoons, and Luncheon Forks are hallmarked CJ...
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
Sterling Silver Mid-Century Flatware Set
By Towle Silversmiths
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Being offered is a sterling silver flatware set: service for 16, 5 pieces per setting, total of 80 pieces. Designed by Towle Silversmiths in the 1950’s, it is quintessential Mid-Cen...
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
Jean TÉTARD – 132-Piece Sterling Silver Flatware Set, TROCADÉRO Pattern
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Important hallmarked flatware service composed of 132 pieces in solid silver, Trocadéro pattern created by Jean Tétard for the Tétard Frères workshop. This iconic Art Deco model is ...
Sterling Silver
Set of 17 Antique Tiffany Lap Over Edge Sterling Silver Fish Forks
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
Set of 17 Lap Over Edge sterling silver fish forks. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York. Tapering stem with acid-etched ornament. Motifs vary. Mushrooms, morning glories, birds, fish, ...
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
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
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.
