This Week's Obsession: The Tiffany & Co. Exhibition

This Week's Obsession: The Tiffany & Co. Exhibition

Calling jewellery lovers in and around London, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a truly immersive experience of fabulous Tiffany Jewels.  The Vision & Virtuosity exhibition is in honour of Tiffany & Co’s 150th year in London, with the brand now boasting nine stores in the English capital, including the flagship store on New Bond Street.  It will run from 10 June until 19 August

 at London’s Saatchi Gallery and will display over 400 objects from the House’s archives.

“Since its inception, Tiffany & Co. has held a unique position within culture,” said Alexandre Arnault, executive vice president of product and communications. “Vision & Virtuosity celebrates the house’s most defining moments, showcases the incredible collection of archives, and exemplifies why Tiffany & Co. is such an iconic brand.”

At the exhibition, you will discover the world of Tiffany & Co. unlike ever before – from their legacy in the world of love and their most magnificent jewels to the extraordinary Empire Diamond of over 80 carats. At the culmination of the exhibition, which is split into seven ‘chapters’, guests will have an opportunity to view the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond.  Tickets are complimentary and can be booked on their Exhibition App.  Can't make it to London? Don't worry, the “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition will travel to New York this autumn.

On display will be the famous World's Fair Necklace

The World’s Fair Necklace pays homage to the Tiffany necklace that was made for the World’s Fair in 1939. The original, which was priced at a comparatively modest $28,000 in the ’30s, was set with an aquamarine stone totalling 200 carats as well as 429 diamonds. The reimagined piece, however, which was two years in the making, features a total of 578 diamonds, including 353 round brilliant stones and 224 custom-cut baguettes.

The pièce de résistance is the “Empire Diamond.” Named after a fellow New York City icon—the Empire State Building, that is—this 80-carat D colour flawless diamond takes the place of the original’s aquamarine stone at the centre of the necklace. The oval-shaped rarity is the largest and most expensive diamond ever offered for sale by Tiffany’s. While the famous 128.54-carat “Tiffany Diamond” is technically bigger, it has been labeled by Tiffany as “priceless” and is not for sale.

Tiffany diamond

The Empire Diamond was mined in Botswana, cut and polished in Israel and finally set in Tiffany’s New York City workshop. And it’s versatile, too. The Empire Diamond can be removed from the World’s Fair Necklace and mounted onto a ring with the help of a Tiffany jeweller, who will be on call to convert the piece whenever the wearer desires.

That means you’re really getting two pieces of high jewellery for around $30 million. Dare we call it a bargain?

Sources

The Robb Report