When you hear the name Tiffany & Co., what do you think of? Maybe you picture Audrey Hepburn eating a croissant staring longingly into the store’s windows in the 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Or maybe you think of the baby blue, trademark color that seems to be synonymous with luxury. Yet, perhaps one of the brand’s most iconic namesake’s is its flagship store, located in New York City on Fifth Avenue. Though not Tiffany’s first flagship store, it remains the longest standing and most popular. Let’s dive deeper into the famous jewelry brand’s colorful history.
From humble beginnings to biggest luxury jewelry brand
The first Tiffany store opened in 1837 in NYC. Charles Lewis Tiffany and his friend John B Young used a loan from Tiffany’s father to launch what began as a simple stationery and goods store. It wasn’t until Tiffany gained widespread recognition for his silver craftsmanship at the 1867 World’s Fair in Paris that the brand became established as a symbol of American luxury and style. However, it was the acquisition of a 287.42ct rough Fancy yellow diamond from the Kimberley diamond mines in South Africa that launched Tiffany into legend. The final, polished gem from this stone still resides in the flagship store today, and graced Audrey Hepburn’s neck for promotional photos for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.
The color known around the world
The robin-egg blue that graces the box of every Tiffany piece is arguably the most famous color in the world. It was introduced in 1886, along with the original Tiffany engagement ring. The classic Tiffany box is so synonymous with the brand itself that the company has a very strict rule about its usage: no box is allowed to leave a store unless it is with an item that they have sold. In 1998, Tiffany Blue was registered as a trademark color, and “in 2001, was standardized as a custom color created by Pantone® exclusively for Tiffany and not publicly available” (Tiffany, n.d.).
A Fifth Avenue architecture titan
Fifth Avenue is known for being a premier, luxury shopping destination in New York City. It wouldn’t have garnered that reputation if not for the flagship Tiffany store built there in 1940. The store was designed in a conservative modern style, and not long after it was completed, a critic for Architectural Forum magazine called it a monumental structure with an "orthodox" exterior and a utilitarian interior (Hudnut, 1941). Architectural historians now cite the building “as an important retail building in New York City, and an important example of the transition from classicism to modernism in architecture” (Gill, 2020). However, perhaps the building’s most unique quality is its five storefront displays that change roughly 8 times a year. This magical, movie-theater-like displays began in 1955 when Gene Moore joined Tiffany. He collaborated with renowned artists all over the world and gave new meaning to the term “window shopping” (Tiffany, n.d.).
Though it may be a luxury jewelry brand, Tiffany has made its mark on far more than necklaces and rings. From the integration of Tiffany blue into popular culture, to the flagship store’s effect on architecture, the brand has always had a way of capturing the spirit of the times in its modern, yet classic designs.
References:
Gill, John Freeman (August 21, 2020). "For Tiffany & Co., a Rooftop Addition Wrapped in Glass". The New York Times.
Hudnut, Joseph (June 1941). "Tiffany & Co., New York City" (PDF). Architectural Forum. Vol. 74. pp. 435–442.
Tiffany & Co. (n.d.). Tiffany & Co. Newsroom. “Tiffany’s Legacy.” https://press.tiffany.com/our-story/tiffanys-legacy-pioneer-of-american-luxury/