Tiffany & Co

(active since 1837)

Founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young, Tiffany & Co. began as a small New York store selling stationery and luxury goods. With the addition of J.L. Ellis in 1841, the firm began offering jewellery, silverware, and clocks, operating as Tiffany, Young and Ellis. In 1853, Charles Tiffany bought out his partners and rebranded the company as Tiffany & Co.

Pioneering a clean, nature-inspired aesthetic dubbed the “new American style,” Tiffany broke away from the ornate Victorian trends of the time. The brand soon became synonymous with innovation and craftsmanship, especially after hiring silversmith John C. Moore in 1851. Tiffany’s silver designs won acclaim at world exhibitions, including the Grand Prix at the 1878 Paris Exposition for its Japanese-influenced pieces.

The California Gold Rush enabled Tiffany to use locally sourced gold and silver, and the firm helped popularise American gemstones like tourmaline, amethyst, aquamarine, and rose quartz. By 1861, it had gained national prestige, Abraham Lincoln gifted Tiffany pearls to his wife, and later expanded internationally, serving royals across Europe and the Ottoman Empire.

Upon Charles Tiffany’s death in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany took over as the brand’s first art director. A key figure in American Art Nouveau, he led the Tiffany Art Jewellery Department, producing striking enamelled and gem-set pieces inspired by nature and the Arts and Crafts movement.

Throughout the 20th century, Tiffany remained at the forefront of design, evolving through the Art Deco, Mid-Century and Modernist periods. Collaborations with visionary designers like Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso solidified its legacy. Its creations have adorned cultural icons from Elizabeth Taylor to Audrey Hepburn.

Tiffany pioneered many firsts: America’s 925 sterling standard, the Blue Book mail-order catalogue, the modern engagement ring, and more, securing its reputation as one of the world’s most iconic jewellery houses.