iffany & Co. unveiled a new design for the legendary 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond. Created by Nathalie Verdeille, Chief Artistic Officer, Jewelry & High Jewelry, the famed diamond will be reset into a new masterpiece, to celebrate the grand reopening of the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store, now named “The Landmark”.
The design draws inspiration from the iconic Bird on a Rock brooch, one of the Tiffany Diamond’s previous settings. First introduced in 1965 by Tiffany & Co. designer Jean Schlumberger, Bird on a Rock evolves into a breathtaking high jewelry creation that showcases the Tiffany Diamond as both a brooch and a pendant.
“The Tiffany Diamond is one of the most important diamonds in the world. It is the foundation of our legacy as the ‘Diamond Kings.” Further, it represents a standard that will adhere to today: prioritizing brilliance over size,” said Anthony Ledru, Chief Executive Officer, Tiffany & Co. “There is no better design to uplift the Tiffany Diamond than the Bird on a Rock, the ultimate icon of Tiffany. Our new masterpiece brings Schlumberger’s creation to life unlike ever before.”
The brooch is designed with five diamond-encrusted birds that encircle the Tiffany Diamond, a sophisticated reimagining of the iconic Bird on a Rock brooch. Capturing the motion of flight, no two birds are the same and each are marked by subtle differences. The masterful, transformable design required 1,384 hours to create, 407 hours to set and 190 hours to polish, exhibiting detailed craftsmanship. With 2000 hours of development, this pinnacle piece both honors and evolves Jean Schlumberger’s vision for the Bird on a Rock brooch while highlighting the unrivaled legacy of the Tiffany Diamond.
“Thirty years ago, we set the diamond in the Bird on a Rock for the Jean Schlumberger Paris retrospective. Today, the Tiffany Diamond and the Bird on a Rock meet again for a new love story full of liberty and joie de vivre,” said Nathalie Verdeille, Chief Artistic Officer, Jewelry and High Jewelry, Tiffany & Co.”
The Tiffany Diamond is one of the largest and most celebrated Fancy Yellow diamonds in the world. The 287.42-carat rough stone was unearthed in South Africa in 1877 and acquired by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany a year later. It is a symbol of Tiffany’s visionary artistry, innovation and craftsmanship. The diamond was cut into a cushion-shape brilliant gem of 128.54 carats—with an unprecedented 82 facets—under the supervision of Tiffany & Co. Chief Gemologist Dr. George Frederick Kunz. Forgoing over half of the rough stone’s mass, the artisan cut the diamond to maximize brilliance rather than for the sake of size alone.
The Tiffany Diamond has famously been worn by four women and has been featured within five distinct designs, including this mesmerizing new creation. The diamond was first worn in 1957 by Ms. Sheldon Whitehouse, Chairperson of the Tiffany Ball in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1961, it was set in Jean Schlumberger’s Ribbon Rosette necklace and worn by Audrey Hepburn® for publicity photos promoting Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
In 1995, the Tiffany Diamond was reset in the Bird on a Rock brooch for Jean Schlumberger’s retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and in 2012, it was mounted in a necklace set with over 100 carats of diamonds to commemorate Tiffany’s 175th anniversary. This design was worn by Lady Gaga in 2019 and, most recently, Beyoncé for the House’s “About Love” campaign in 2021.
Today, with the fifth and latest setting for the Tiffany Diamond, the legendary gemstone transforms once again into a masterpiece that celebrates the House’s heritage and its iconic tribute to “The Landmark”.
