Tiffany

Amethyst is the purple variety of quartz and is a popular gemstone. If it were not for its widespread availability, amethyst would be very expensive. The name “amethyst” comes from the Greek and means “not drunken.” This was maybe due to a belief that amethyst would ward off the effects of alcohol, but most likely the Greeks were referring to the almost wine-like color of some stones that they may have encountered. Its color is unparalleled, and even other, more expensive purple gemstones are often compared to its color and beauty. Although it must always be purple to be amethyst, it can and does have a wide range of purple shades.

This delicate Jean Schlumberger’s butterfly clip designed with Schlumberger’s signature attention to detail. The clip is with amethysts, turquoise and round brilliant diamonds in platinum and 18k gold. And this clip is valued $33,500.

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Tiffany is committed to doing its part to address the crises of global warming by focusing on energy conservation. To that end, in 2007 Tiffany signed onto the United States Envirnomental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program,an industry-governmental partnership that works to develop comprehensive climate change strategies. Tiffany & Co is committed to understanding and reducing their impact on the global environment by completing a company-wide inventory of their greenhouse gas emissions based on a quality management system, setting aggressive reduction goals and annually reporting their progress. In 2006 they installed two very large solar power systems in their distribution facilities in New Jersey to replace carbon-fuel generated power. The installations generate approximately 14 megawatts annually, which represents 35% of the electricity needs of the facilities.

This is Tiffany’s Heart Clip designed by the designer Jean Schlumberger. The wires of gold are twisted together and form this heart design. This clip is in 18k gold with turquoise. It is $5,000.

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Diamond’s effect on history has been mainly because they are possibly the greatest concentrated form wealth which is negotiable and redeemable almost anywhere. Diamonds have played a part in many upheavals and, during recent world wars, paid the way for the escape of refugees from totalitarian tyrannies.

The Koh-i-Nur Diamond, or Mountain of Light, has longest history of all famous diamonds, as it was known to be in the possession of the Rajahs of Malwa as long ago as 1304. The 410-carat Regent Diamond played a part in the French Revolution. It was one of the last big diamonds to be found in India, in 1701. The Hope Diamond, to which stories of tragedy has become attached, is supposed to have been part of the famous Blue Tavernier diamond brought to Europe by the French traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier.

Tiffany’s Jean Schlumberger loved to design whimsical settings for fabulous stones. Flower Top ear clips in 18k gold with pink spinels and diamonds set in platinum.

Pear-shaped pink spinels, carat total weight 27.80; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight 1.01. $145,000

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During the French Revolution, the Blue Tavernier diamond was stolen and in 1830, Henry Thomas Hope bought a slightly smaller stone of the same color and beauty. It is suspected that the gem known as the Hope Diamond was cut from the Blue Tavernier sometime after the revolution. After Hope died, the diamond passed through a few other hands and each person who owned it lost his or her fortune, including the stone itself. As a result, no one would touch it by the time it went on sale in New York City. It now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Diamonds come in a variety of colors, from the transparent diamonds that we think of as engagement rings to startling blues to luminescent pinks. They are treasured stones in industry and in jewelry. Fortunately, modern technology can now manufacture sufficient quality diamonds for most necessary industrial uses, but it remains to be seen if it will ever catch up in making gem quality stones. If it does, it’s anyone’s guess whether the diamonds will lose value just as they become widely available.

Delicate butterflies designed with Schlumberger’s signature attention to detail. Clip with oval pink tourmalines, pear-shaped amethysts and round brilliant diamonds in platinum with 18k gold. Oval pink tourmalines, carat total weight 6.30; pear-shaped amethysts, carat total weight 6.74; round brilliant diamonds, carat total weight 1.53. $30,000

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