The Tiffany & Co. Timeline

Tiffany’s first new engagement ring design in nearly a decade, the Tiffany True®, is introduced. 

Tiffany launches a fragrance collection. The first scent released, Tiffany Eau de Parfum, is soon followed by Tiffany Intense and Tiffany Sheer.

The Blue Box Cafe® opens at the Fifth Avenue flagship store, enabling everyone to enjoy breakfast at Tiffany.

Tiffany introduces a luxury Home & Accessories collection, in which everyday objects are made extraordinary.

The Tiffany Save the Wild collection launches. Tiffany donates 100% of the profits to the Wildlife Conservation Network to support the preservation of elephants, rhinos and lions, pledging a total donation of USD $4 million by December 2019.

Tiffany appoints the company’s first chief sustainability officer and joins other leading companies to pledge net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

An icon for a new era, the Tiffany T collection debuts. It captures the creativity, happiness, love and strength that Tiffany stands for.

Tiffany introduces Rubedo® metal to honour the company’s 175th anniversary.

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation is established, solidifying Tiffany’s long-held commitment to conservation and the arts. The Foundation has awarded over USD $75 million in grants since.

Paloma Picasso’s first Tiffany collection launches. Inspired by the graffiti on New York City buildings during the ’70s, the Paloma’s Graffiti collection reimagines the street art form in chic, graphic jewellery designs that are still wildly popular today.

John Loring is appointed Design Director. He shapes Tiffany’s design legacy for the next 40 years.

Tiffany is commissioned to create the NBA Championship Trophy. It stands two feet tall and weighs approximately 16 pounds.

1974

Tiffany introduces the gemstone tsavorite and names it in honor of Tsavo National Park near the border of Kenya and Tanzania, where it is discovered.

Elsa Peretti joins Tiffany and revolutionises jewellery design with her sculptural aesthetic and modern sensibility. Under her direction, sterling silver attains a glamorous new status; and her Diamonds by the Yard® collection introduces diamond jewellery that can be worn every day.

The Return to Tiffany™ keyring debuts. Each one sold was assigned a serial number and registered so that if lost, it could be returned to the Tiffany flagship store on Fifth Avenue and reunited with its owner. The iconic design goes on to inspire one of Tiffany’s best-selling collections worldwide.

Tiffany makes its cinematic debut in the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which stars Audrey Hepburn®. An instant Hollywood classic, it is the first movie ever filmed at Tiffany’s flagship store, followed by Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and Sweet Home Alabama (2002).

Audrey Hepburn®—Trademark and Likeness property of Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti—All Rights Reserved.

Legendary designer Jean Schlumberger joins Tiffany. His lavish, whimsical designs—often featuring plants and sea creatures—are coveted for their playful use of precious gemstones, enticing the world’s most fashionable women.

Dr. George F. Kunz introduces morganite to the American public and names it in honour of financier and philanthropist J.P. Morgan. Discovered in Madagascar, the gem is a type of pink beryl.

The gem kunzite is discovered and named in honour of Tiffany’s chief gemmologist, Dr. George Frederick Kunz. Tiffany is the first retailer to have a gemmologist position on staff.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, becomes the company’s first official Design Director. An influential figure in the Art Nouveau movement, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s colorful, naturalistic aesthetic remains a major inspiration for Tiffany designers today.

1887

Charles Lewis Tiffany makes headlines when he purchases the French Crown Jewels. The jewels are placed in Tiffany designs and sold to America’s high society.

Charles Lewis Tiffany introduces the Tiffany® Setting, the engagement ring as we know it today. Flawlessly engineered, the six-prong setting is virtually hidden and allows the brilliant diamond to float above the band and into the light, resulting in a ring so beautiful it has been a symbol of the world’s greatest love stories for over 130 years.

1885

Tiffany redesigns the Great Seal of the United States. It appears on the dollar bill to this day and enables everyone to carry a Tiffany design in their wallets.

Charles Lewis Tiffany purchases a 287.42-carat fancy yellow diamond, one of the world’s finest gemstones to date. It is cut to 128.54 carats and named the Tiffany Diamond. Today, the world-famous diamond is on permanent display at the Fifth Avenue flagship, where it attracts more than 300 visitors each day.

President Abraham Lincoln purchases a Tiffany seed pearl necklace and earrings for his wife, who wears them to the inaugural ball. 

Charles Lewis Tiffany unveils a nine-foot Atlas clock above the Tiffany store. Today, the clock still stands above the entrance of the Fifth Avenue flagship store and is the oldest public clock in New York City.

Tiffany is the first American company to institute the .925 sterling silver standard, which is later adopted by the United States.

1848

Tiffany becomes a renowned destination for diamonds when Charles Lewis Tiffany purchases the gemstones from European aristocrats and brings them back to the U.S., allowing the nation’s elite to purchase major jewels at home for the first time. 

Tiffany publishes the first direct mail catalogue in the U.S. and introduces Americans to luxury goods. Now known as the Blue Book, it’s still released annually and features the world’s rarest jewels.

The first Tiffany store opens in New York City. The first day’s sales total is USD $4.98.