THE
BEANthe way women purchased and wore jewellery —
suddenly it was acceptable to buy yourself pieces and
wear them informally (even diamonds) during the day.
Her Tiffany Bean, launched when she joined, is still a
staple of many people’s jewellery collections, while
Diamonds by the Yard, her literal string of diamonds,
exemplifies exactly how she believed jewellery should
be worn — casually strung around the neck, designed
to be flung on effortlessly and forgotten about, not
saved for best. Another iconic piece, her Bone cuff,
which she designed in 1970 (shortly before she started
working for the fashion designer Halston), came with
her to Tiffany and was an immediate success. Organic
in shape, it hugs the wrist and would have looked
fabulous paired with a bias-cut Halston dress for a
night boogying at Studio 54. Venus Williams wore
a pair of large Bone cuffs to the Oscars in March, while
Hailey Bieber wore Diamonds by the Yard to this
year’s Grammys.
Yet when most people think of Tiffany, it’s still that
robin’s-egg blue packaging that first springs to mind, as
powerful as the Nike swoosh and Apple’s bitten fruit.
The jeweller’s most recognisable asset dates back to
1878, when the blue box was debuted by Charles Lewis
Tiffany. To this day it’s unclear why the colour was
chosen, although various theories have been put
forward: turquoise was a hugely popular gemstone in
19th-century jewellery, for instance, as well as being a
favourite of George Frederick Kunz, Tiffany’s
gemologist at the time. Either way, Tiffany Blue
was only registered as a colour and trademarked
by Tiffany in 1998 — a full 120 years after it was
first used — and in 2001 it was standardised as a
custom colour by Pantone and named 1837 Blue,
after Tiffany’s founding year. Arnault acknowledges its
power today: “It evokes the magic of the brand and an
excitement for what will be found in every blue box ...
and is instantly recognisable across the globe.”
Even the modern-day engagement ring has lots to
thank Tiffany for. The archetypal piece, a single solitaire
diamond set high on prongs, is a Tiffany invention that
first appeared in 1886, just eight years after the appear-
ance of Tiffany Blue. Charles Lewis Tiffany designed it,
wanting to give the diamond the maximum amount of
fire and sparkle by lifting it high above the band and
allowing in the greatest amount of light possible. As a
piece of design it has often been imitated, so much so
that the Tiffany style of setting a diamond has become
both jewellery and pop culture’s quintessential engage-
ment ring. Indeed, from the boxes to the design classic
pieces to the showstopping gems, it’s hard not to think
of a jeweller that still sits so front and centre in every-
one’s mind. ■ @thediamondeditVision & Virtuosity, June 10-August 19, Saatchi Gallery,
London SW3; saatchigallery.com. Admission free; book
tickets on the Vision & Virtuosity app from tomorrowDIAMONDS
BY THE
YA R DTHE CLASSIC
ENGAGEMENT
RINGTHE BONE
CUFFThis picture Jay-Z
and Beyoncé in
Tiffany’s About
Love campaign.
Below, from left
Hailey Bieber
and Venus WilliamsTHE GREATEST HITS
RETURN
TO TIFFANY
BRACELET1616 • The Sunday Times Style • The Sunday Times Style