How does Tiffany & Co. reinvigorate an icon? With a brilliant gem reminiscent of its signature blue.
Close your eyes and conjure an image of Tiffany & Co. What do you see? Even before a single silver cuff or diamond engagement ring, the very first thing to flash through your mind’s jewelry-craving eye is probably a box in the brand’s very particular (and trademark-protected) robin’s-egg blue. Speculation abounds among jewelry sleuths about why Charles Lewis Tiffany chose the hue for the cover of the very first Blue Book, then and now a catalog of the house’s most sumptuous creations. But that fateful decision, made more than 180 years ago, would become his company’s defining visual code. The leading theory for the choice: the popularity of jewelry set with turquoise, a close cousin to the chosen color, during the 19th century planted a seed of inspiration, connecting the dots between the world of gemstones and the brand’s iconic identity.
The latest incarnation of the Tiffany HardWear collection, a runaway hit since it debuted nearly a decade ago, introduces turquoise and touches of luminous Akoya pearls to its bold silhouettes. Rooted in New York City since its founding, Tiffany embodies the city’s signature blend of glamour and tenacity; HardWear’s full array of jewels in 18-karat gold or sterling silver—swingy drop earrings, supple bracelets, and long necklaces built to layer—is anchored by weighty U-shaped links that are inspired by an archival midcentury bracelet’s industrial lines and symbolize love’s strength. The addition of vibrant turquoise infuses the designs with a sense of optimism and vitality.
Trailblazing gemstone discoveries and imaginative design with colored stones, including turquoise, have long been an essential ingredient in Tiffany’s DNA. A tour of some of the brand’s most memorable pieces includes the cheery blue stone, whether a lavish bib necklace worn by Cate Blanchett to the Oscars, paillonné enameled bracelets (the style was beloved by Jackie Kennedy during her White House years), or a one-of-a-kind neck-encircling collar with hundreds of turquoise cabochons designed for midcentury style authority Bunny Mellon.
There’s more to turquoise than a captivating blue hue. The history and lore that surrounds the gemstone makes it one of the most intriguing in Tiffany’s design repertoire. It is an ancient material that has been prized for thousands of years in civilizations from ancient Egypt (where it was highly valued for amulets and was embedded in King Tutankhamun’s burial mask) to the Aztecs. Turquoise has inspired countless myths and meanings. In Europe during the Georgian and Victorian eras, floral “forget me not” rings set with turquoise were symbols of affection and remembrance, while Apache hunters believed affixing turquoise to a bow enhanced its accuracy. The qualities of prosperity, good fortune, and protection from evil are linked to turquoise in cultures across the globe.
New pieces in Tiffany’s HardWear collection are part of a colorful history: a window into the past and present, signaling a bright horizon ahead.
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