FACET: Tiffany & Co. and their Little Blue Jewelry Boxes

June 19, 2015

Read on to discover some of the biggest highlights of Tiffany's almost two centuries of tradition.

1837: Tiffany opens its doors for the first time in New York City under the banner of Tiffany & Young. Just a sampling of jewelry, much of it costume, was up for sale. But that quickly changed when founding partner John P. Young headed to Paris for a buying trip. A mass exodus of the French nobility during the second revolution prompted the selling of their diamonds to Young for a steal. Thereafter, diamonds became a regular feature at Tiffany & Young and the company began offering its own gold and diamond designs.

1845: Tiffany publishes theTiffany Blue Book. It was the first mail order catalogue in the USA. Today "this annual presentation of flawless craftsmanship and peerless design [offers] one of the most extensive and exquisite collections of couture jewelry on earth."

1850: Sole control of the company shifted to founding partner Charles Lewis Tiffany and he changed its name to that which it is still known by: Tiffany & Co.

1879: Tiffany & Co. makes its first major purchase: a 287.42 carat rough yellow diamond from South Africa. After being cut in Paris, it earned the distinction of being the largest flawless yellow diamond in existence at that time.

1886: The "Tiffany Setting" debuts. This signature six-prong diamond setting is still known by this moniker today.

1905: Tiffany & Co. has become known as America's largest purveyor of fine jewelry.

1961: Tiffany & Co. opens for the first time ever on a Sunday to allow filming of "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Based on the novel by Truman Capote, the film's opening scene features its star, Audrey Hepburn, window shopping outside the jewelry storefront. A later scene finds Hepburn and her co-star George Peppard inside Tiffany's, attempting to make a purchase with the limited budget of $10 and then endeavoring to have a ring scored from a Cracker Jack box engraved there.

2014: Tiffany's immortalizes its famous blue box in a sterling silver charm.

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