Tiffany & Co., From HardWear to the Tiffany Setting: Where to Start

Tiffany & Co. began in New York in 1837. When I look across the house today, I see a useful contrast between graphic links, recognizable tags and the fluid forms Elsa Peretti brought to Tiffany in 1974.

 

Each grid below is one Tiffany & Co. collection, so you can go straight to the line you care about. For the story behind the tag and cuff, I also wrote Tiffany and Co.: Heart Tags, Bone Cuffs and the 1966 Key Tag Behind Them and Tiffany Perfume: The Iris Signature, Rose Gold and What to Wear Nearby.

Tiffany HardWear draws on a 1962 design and uses sculptural links to express strength, so I would start here if you want Tiffany jewelry with a bolder outline. I picked eight pieces: two Medium Link pendants in yellow gold, one with turquoise and one with pearls; two Medium Link earring pairs, one with turquoise and one with pearls; a Small Link bracelet and necklace with turquoise; a Micro Articulated Ring in yellow gold; and Small Link Bead Earrings with turquoise.

 

A practical tip: choose a single turquoise piece if you want the link chain to stay in focus. I would skip mixing both the pearl and turquoise versions at first, since they give the same motif two distinct moods.

Tiffany T takes its intersecting lines from a 1975 motif and the clean geometry of New York. I picked eight pieces: a Medium Smile Pendant in white gold with diamonds, a Tiffany T Narrow Wire Bracelet and T Wire Bracelet in yellow gold, a Diamond Wire Bracelet and Diamond Wire Ring in yellow gold, a Small Smile Pendant in yellow gold with diamonds, a Tiffany T Narrow Wire Bracelet in white gold, and T1 Hoop Earrings in yellow gold with diamonds.

 

A practical tip: the Smile pieces curve gently, while the wire styles make the letter more explicit. I would skip stacking two Tiffany T bracelets in the same metal until you have tried the scale on your own wrist.

Tiffany Lock is rooted in an 1883 padlock brooch, with a clasp shape that makes protection part of the design. I picked eight pieces: yellow gold and white gold narrow bangles, a full yellow gold bangle, a yellow and white gold bangle with half pavé diamonds, two small yellow gold earring styles, a yellow gold diamond pendant and a rose gold pendant with pink sapphires.

 

A practical tip: compare the mixed metal bangle with the single metal versions before choosing a stack. I would skip wearing several closure bracelets together if you want the Lock shape to read clearly.

Elsa Peretti joined Tiffany in 1974 and brought a fluid, organic point of view to the house. I picked eight designs: the Open Heart pendant and earrings in yellow gold, Diamonds by the Yard pendant in yellow gold and bracelet, Pearls by the Yard chain earrings and bracelet, and Bean design pendant and earrings in yellow gold.

 

A practical tip: start with one Peretti pendant or a small pair of earrings, then add another motif only if you wear it often. I would skip mixing every sculptural shape at once, since the Bean, Heart and bezel set stones each have a distinct silhouette.

Tiffany Knot looks back to an 1889 archival bow and turns its tied ends into a sign of connection. I picked eight pieces: a yellow gold diamond pendant and ring, a small yellow gold diamond pendant, a white gold diamond pendant, a plain yellow gold ring, a yellow gold diamond wire bangle, a rose gold chain bracelet and small yellow gold earrings.

 

A practical tip: choose the plain yellow gold ring if you want the knot to stay understated, or use diamonds to make the motif more visible. I would skip mixing every gold tone at once unless that contrast is already part of your jewelry rotation.

Return to Tiffany takes its heart tag from a 1966 key ring, and the current line balances silver, yellow gold and Tiffany Blue enamel. I picked eight pieces: a yellow gold mini heart tag pendant and bead bracelet, a silver Heart Tag Toggle necklace and bracelet, a Tiffany Blue Double Heart Tag pendant and Heart Tag bead bracelet in silver, a silver Double Heart Tag pendant and mini silver Heart Tag stud earrings.

 

A practical tip: the mini pendant and stud earrings are easy gifts when sizing is uncertain. I would skip stacking several heart tags at once if you want the engraving and enamel to read clearly.

Tiffany Victoria brings flower and vine motifs to diamond jewelry, with these selected pieces shown in platinum. I picked four designs: a diamond tennis bracelet, diamond earrings, pearl and diamond earrings, and a diamond pendant.

 

A practical tip: the pendant or earrings are easy places to begin when you want a gift that does not depend on bracelet or ring sizing. I would skip wearing every diamond shape together, and let one piece take the lead.

Tiffany introduced the Tiffany Setting in 1886, and the design helped define the engagement ring silhouette. I picked four rings: the classic platinum solitaire, the 18k yellow gold solitaire, a platinum pavé band version and a platinum channel set diamond band version.

 

A practical tip: compare the pavé and channel set bands with the plain solitaires to decide how much detail you want along the finger. I would skip choosing by stone size alone, since band shape, setting height and fit deserve a close look in person.

Elsa Peretti designed the Bone Cuff in 1970, and Tiffany describes its sculptural form as an expression of strength and grace. I picked four cuffs: the 43 mm small cuff and 61 mm medium cuff in yellow gold, plus both widths in sterling silver.

 

A practical tip: compare the two widths before choosing a metal, because the cuff scale is a bigger part of the look than a small color change. I would skip ordering the wider silhouette without checking how the cuff meets your wrist.

Bird on a Rock was introduced by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany in 1965, and the idea is still joyful: a small bird perched on a gemstone, as if it had just landed. I picked eight pieces: two brooches, the turquoise one and the diamond wings one, a narrow platinum wings ring and a wide rose gold wings ring, a bird pendant, bird earrings, a wings bracelet and a pair of aquamarine drop earrings.

A practical tip: the brooches are the purest version of the design, but the pendant and the rings are the easiest to wear every day. I would skip buying several birds at once. One perched on a shoulder or a lapel says more than a flock.

My first pick would be a Tiffany T Smile Pendant in yellow gold: it gives me the house's clean geometry without asking me to commit to a bracelet or ring size. From there, I would add the HardWear Medium Link Pendant for a bolder chain, or an Elsa Peretti Bean pendant for a softer shape.

 

For a gift, I would look at earrings or a pendant before a bracelet or ring, since fit matters less. I would keep gold jewelry in separate soft pouches and wipe it with a clean, dry cloth after wear, then store chains separately to limit tangling.