An 80-Carat Magic At Tiffany & Co.
The American jeweller has a brilliant idea of what to do with this whopper diamond – but it will not be until 2022 when you can see the big reveal.
By Imran Jalal,
Having a whopping 80-carat gemstone in your possession is not something that comes around every day for a jeweller. Especially when a gem of that size holds the honour as the largest diamond to be sold by Tiffany & Co.
It joins the ranks of other exceptional and rare giant stones owned by the American house such as the Tiffany Diamond (it's one of the largest and most magnificent fancy yellow diamonds around and not for sale); the Hooker Emerald (currently exhibited at the Smithsonian); and the Mazarin Diamonds (a large collection of French Crown Jewels that Tiffany acquired through an auction in the 19th century).
Weighing over-80-carat, the rare oval-cut diamond was ethically-mined in Botswana and certified an impressive D colour and internally flawless. Its acquisition highlights Tiffany & Co.'s commitment to diamond traceability as part of the brand's Diamond Source Initiative that allows shoppers to track the origins of diamonds – from the mines they come from to where they are polished.
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With such a monumental purchase, Tiffany & Co. is naturally inspired to mount the rock on a one-of-a-kind design. For this, it turns its attention to a high jewellery necklace design from the 1939 archives as a starting point.
Below, we take a closer look at what the brand is up to with the design.
Coming in at over 80-carats, the D-colour and internally flawless diamond is the second biggest diamond that Tiffany possesses. It will be set as the centre stone for an Art Deco-style diamond necklace design (pictured) that takes its cues from an archival piece that was presented at the 1939 World’s Fair. The final design will be unveiled in 2022 to coincide with the reopening of the jeweller's Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City.
Victoria Reynolds, Tiffany & Co.'s chief gemologist said: “The new necklace perfectly reflects our brand heritage as a New York luxury jeweller, whose founder was known as the ‘King of Diamonds.’"
The archival piece (pictured) that will guide the design of this new Tiffany & Co. necklace debuted at the 1939 World Fair in Queens, New York which was carried the theme of "Dawn of a New Day". The graphic design of the necklace was topped off with a large aquamarine stone – which will be substituted by the 80-carat diamond in the new 2022 remake of this necklace.