All photographs © Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany’s
Just when you thought it was time to get out of the water, Tiffany & Co. invites you to plunge back in with a host of shimmery jewels that echo the colors of the sea, draw new inspiration from Art Deco and add edgy touches of onyx.
It’s brilliant counterprogramming when you think about it: In October when “Beyond the Blue: New Collections 2013” debuts, the searing heat of July will be a distant memory and we’ll be longing for a touch of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas to warm us through the coming winter chill. Besides, it’s always summer somewhere, isn’t it?
Tiffany fires our imaginations with cuprian elbaite tourmalines, whose azure hue and coppery hints echo the Aegean and the Mediterranean, as do pale green tourmalines. They’re often accented by onyx, which outlines a 19.26-carat, emerald-cut green tourmaline and diamond ring and radiates from an oval cuprian elbaite tourmaline and diamond setting, giving two classic presentations a modern edge. Meanwhile, onyx adds abstract, geometric Art Deco sleekness to a pair of drop emerald-cut green tourmaline and diamond earrings. Traditionalists, however, may prefer the organic beauty of Tiffany’s tourmaline and diamond butterfly and dragonfly brooches – the quintessence of whimsical romance.
Montana sapphires – a rare, paler cousin of traditional sapphires – make a statement and reflect the emporium’s continuing commitment to American gems in a tiara of stunning diamond arabesques. Only the fourth tiara that the company has produced in its 176 years, the headpiece is for the princess in every girl.
What Tiffany collection would be complete without new takes on Jean Schlumberger’s enamel bracelets, so beloved by Jackie and Liz? These hand-carved turquoise and lapis lazuli treasures are bedecked with diamond scrolls, hanging pearls and 18-karat gold. And speaking of pearls, we find they’re used to subtler but no less stunning effect in opera-length diamond necklaces and diamond-set rings that feature South Sea white, golden and dark Tahitian pearls. Even better are the necklaces threaded with irregularly shaped pearls – a reminder that Tiffany lets the stones dictate the setting, not the other way around.
Atlas hugged
“Beyond the Blue” isn’t the only collection Tiffany is highlighting this season. The Atlas Collection is back, demonstrating the company’s ability to refresh classic designs regularly, just as it does with Schlumberger’s captivating organic forms. Atlas was the Titan who was forced by the triumphant Olympians to hold up the earth eternally, which he does so manfully in Lee Lawrie’s colossal bronze, down the street from Tiffany’s at Rockefeller Center. The new Atlas Collection is characterized by a more spacious use of the iconic Roman numerals as well as by the addition of rose gold. You can bet Atlas won’t be shrugging when he sees these.
Bag it
No Atlas yourself, you’re going to need something to put all these goodies in. Why not try a Tiffany Chelsea bucket hobo in orchid, moss or cognac suede with leather or the Tiffany Reversible Tote in frost/onyx or bright moss/espresso ostrich? Or you may prefer one of the more structured bags – the Tiffany Mercer zip tote in bright moss grain leather, Emerson flag shoulder bag in cognac or Astrid zip top handle clutch in bright moss vachetta leather. They’ve got neat outside zippered compartments for easy access to cells and keys. Plus, many of the bags are lined in Tiffany blue, the better to see those cells and keys.
Luxury, meet ingenuity.
