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.
Tiffany & Co 925 Sterling Silver Somerest Mesh Ring Size 9
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
100% Authentic, 100% Customer Satisfaction Top: 9.5 mm Band Width: 9.5 mm Metal: 925 Sterling Silver Size: 9 Hallmarks: T&C 925 Total Weight: 10.8 Grams Stone: None Condition: PreOw...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Somerset Mesh Band Ring Size 7 #26821
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Somerset Mesh Band Ring Size 7 Size 7 An authentic vintage Tiffany & Co sterling silver mesh ring from the Somerset Collection, it features the collect...
Sterling Silver
Vintage Tiffany & Co. Somerset Sterling Silver Wide Mesh Ring
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed vintage silver ring. By Tiffany and Co. In sterling silver. In the Somerset pattern with rigid sides. Marked to the interior for T&Co. / 925. Simply a wonderfu...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Somerset Woven Mesh "Wide" Band Ring in Sterling Silver
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A Tiffany & Co. Somerset band ring featuring the collection’s recognizable woven mesh design. Rows of closely interlocking silver links create a continuous textured surface, givi...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Somerset Diamond Mesh Ring in Sterling Silver
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This Tiffany & Co. Somerset ring pairs the texture of woven silver mesh with a slender bar set with four round diamonds. Closely interlocking links create a fabric-like pattern a...
Diamond, Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Somerset Mesh Bracelet #26741
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Somerset Mesh Bracelet This elegant Tiffany & Co. sterling silver mesh bangle bracelet from the somerset collection features a domed design with a woven...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Somerset Mesh Bangle Bracelet and Ring Set
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
An iconic design from Tiffany & Co., this sterling silver Somerset set includes the celebrated mesh bangle bracelet and matching ring. Crafted in richly textured sterling silver,...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Somerset Wide Woven Mesh Bangle Bracelet - 7 Inch
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Mount Kisco, NY
Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Somerset Wide Mesh Bangle Bracelet. A distinctive, eye-catching design by Tiffany & Co. from the Somerset Collection. Highly polished woven 925 ...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Extra-Wide 26mm Somerset Sterling Silver Mesh Bangle Bracelet
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Tampa, FL
A substantial Tiffany & Co. Somerset bracelet crafted in sterling silver, featuring the house’s distinctive woven mesh construction in an unusually wide and weighty format. The tightly interlocking links create a fluid, textile-like surface while maintaining the sculptural rounded profile characteristic of the Somerset collection. At approximately 26 mm wide and 120.7 grams, this is the extra-wide version of the design and has considerably more presence than the more commonly encountered 10–15 mm Somerset bracelets. The flexible construction allows the bracelet to conform naturally to the wrist, while the polished sterling silver links catch light across the woven surface. Measuring approximately 8 inches in circumference, the bracelet is generously sized and makes a strong statement worn alone. Why We Love It Extra-wide 26 mm profile gives the classic Somerset design exceptional presence Substantial 120.7-gram sterling silver weight Flexible woven construction feels almost textile-like on the wrist A discontinued Tiffany design with a distinctive late-20th/early-21st-century aesthetic Particularly desirable in this less commonly encountered extra-wide size Details Maker: Tiffany & Co. Collection: Somerset Metal: Sterling Silver, 925 Style: Flexible mesh bangle bracelet Circumference: Approximately 8 inches Width: Approximately 26 mm / 1 inch Weight: 120.7 grams Signed: Tiffany & Co., 925 Condition: Excellent Tiffany Somerset bracelet, Tiffany & Co sterling silver bracelet, Tiffany mesh bracelet...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co Estate Somerset Ring 6 Sterling Silver 10 mm TIF1004
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Authentic Tiffany & Co Estate Somerset Ring 6 Sterling Silver 10 mm TIF1004 TRUSTED SELLER SINCE 2002 DETAIL Design: Somerset Ring Size: 6 Height: 10 mm Weight: 11 Grams Metal:...
Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. Textured HardWear Barbell Ball Cuff Bracelet Sterling Silver 6.25"
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Fairfield, CT
Tiffany & Co. Textured HardWear Barbell Ball Cuff Bracelet Sterling Silver 6.25" This Tiffany & Co. bangle is made in sterling silver and finished with a refined geometric p...
Sterling Silver
John Hardy Twisted Link Bracelet Sterling Silver
By John Hardy
Located in Fairfield, CT
John Hardy Twisted Link Bracelet in Sterling Silver This John Hardy bracelet is fashioned in sterling silver and features the brand's signature handwoven chain design. The tightly b...
Sterling Silver
John Hardy Diamond Icon Bracelet Four Station Sterling Silver
By John Hardy
Located in Fairfield, CT
John Hardy Four Station Diamond Icon Bracelet in Sterling Silver This John Hardy bracelet is fashioned in sterling silver and features the brand's signature handwoven chain design w...
Diamond, Sterling Silver
Bulgari Platinum Diamond Ring Old Mine Cut Center Monture Ring
By Bulgari
Located in Fairfield, CT
Bulgari Platinum Diamond Ring Old Mine Cut Center Monture Ring This substantial vintage Bulgari ring is made in platinum and centers on an approximately 2.20-carat old mine cut diam...
Diamond, Platinum
John Hardy Bamboo Bangle Sterling Silver
By John Hardy
Located in Fairfield, CT
John Hardy Bamboo Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet This John Hardy bangle bracelet is made in sterling silver and features the designer’s signature bamboo motif. The slender bracelet...
Silver, Sterling Silver
Platinum Diamond Eternity Band ~2.2ctw Round Brilliant Diamonds Vintage
Located in Fairfield, CT
Platinum Diamond Eternity Band ~2.2ctw Round Brilliant Diamonds Vintage This platinum eternity band is set with a continuous row of round brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximate...
Diamond, Platinum
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.
