Tiffany & Co. Celebrates Its Iconic Blue Book

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When it was first published in 1845, the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book made history as the first direct-mail catalog to bring fine jewelry to American doorsteps. In the decades that followed, its pages would become the stuff of luxury legend, introducing American aesthetes, whether armchair or actual, to treasures otherwise unknown. “The original Blue Book is an important piece of Tiffany legacy,” notes the company’s global CEO, Anthony Ledru. 

The original 1845 Blue Book.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

A 1939 cocktail service.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

A 1966–67 catalog.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Visitors to London’s Saatchi Gallery can see for themselves in “Vision & Virtuosity,” a brand exhibition on view from June 10 to August 19 (saatchigallery.com). The show surveys some 400 objects, including early catalogs from the Tiffany archives, organized into a series of thematic chapters. Those range from a deep dive into the legacy of window displays to a celebration of engagement rings to a spotlight on past Blue Book wonders, among them pieces by the legendary Tiffany designer Jean Schlumberger, whose fanciful creations won over the likes of Babe Paley, Jayne Wrightsman, and Audrey Hepburn. 

A 2022 Blue Book bracelet, based on an archival Jean Schlumberger sketch. 

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Diamond-and-tanzanite earrings, from the 2022 high jewelry collection.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Marine pendant, from the 2022 high jewelry collection.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Tastemakers of the current moment, meanwhile, can choose from Tiffany’s latest high jewelry collection, which takes its name from the Blue Book. Now, as ever, the house turns the page with style. tiffany.com 

Change of Address: A brief history of the Tiffany & Co. flagship

1853–1869

Sixteen years after Charles Lewis Tiffany started his company, the brand settled into a building at 550 Broadway. It was there that the atlas clock, now iconic, made its debut.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

1869–1905

Overlooking Union Square and distinguished by a cast-iron façade ornament, Tiffany’s late-19th-century home was an Italianate stunner by architect John Kellum.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

1905–1940

Gilded age architects McKim, Mead & White conceived the brand’s store at 37th street and Fifth Avenue. The seven-story building was based on Venice’s 16th-century Palazzo Grimani.

Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

1940–Present

Designed by Cross & Cross, the current flagship, at 57th and Fifth, has been under renovation since 2019. It reopens later this year with a three-story rooftop addition and refreshed interiors.

Robert Alexander/Getty Images

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