Tiffany & Co

Paraiba Tiffany Necklace Sets New World Record at Christie’s New York

A spectacular Tiffany & Co. necklace has made auction history, achieving a record-setting USD $4.2 million and establishing a new world auction record for a Paraiba tourmaline. The piece sold for more than seven times its high estimate during Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on 10 December in New York.

The centrepiece of the necklace is an exceptional 13.54-carat triangular modified brilliant-cut Paraiba tourmaline, accented by an array of round, pear, and square-shaped diamonds. Paraiba tourmalines of this size and saturation remain among the rarest gemstones in the world, and the extraordinary result underscores the continued strength of the coloured-gemstone market.

Christie’s reported an impressive 95% sell-through rate, with the auction realising USD $46.5 million. High-value pieces from renowned maisons such as Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Tiffany & Co. all attracted strong global demand.

Below are the top-performing lots from the sale:

Top 10 Jewels at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction

1. Paraiba Tourmaline Tiffany & Co. Necklace
Final price: $4.2 million
Estimate: $300,000 – $600,000
A 13.54-carat Paraiba tourmaline with diamond accents — now a world-record holder.

2. Antique Kashmir Sapphire Earrings (circa 1910)
Final price: $3.1 million
Estimate: $1.5 million – $2 million
Featuring 11.92-carat and 12.61-carat cushion mixed-cut Kashmir sapphires suspended from old-cut diamonds.

3. Art Deco Cartier Ring (Rockefeller Kashmir Sapphire, circa 1925)
Final price: $2.6 million
Estimate: $1.5 million – $2.5 million
Centred on the celebrated 17.66-carat sugarloaf cabochon Kashmir sapphire.

4. D-Colour, VS1, 27.19-Carat Type IIa Diamond Ring
Final price: $1.9 million
Estimate: $1.4 million – $1.8 million
A rare type IIa diamond in classic emerald cut.

5. 16.23-Carat Kashmir Sapphire Ring
Final price: $1.8 million
Estimate: $500,000 – $700,000
A dramatic result for a cushion mixed-cut Kashmir sapphire surrounded by old-cut diamonds.

6. Tiffany & Co. Paraiba Tourmaline Earrings
Final price: $1.3 million
Estimate: $120,000 – $180,000
Two oval modified brilliant-cut Paraiba gems of 3.19 and 3.45 carats — another major Paraiba surprise.

7. Cartier Ring with 23.03-Carat D, VVS2 Step-Cut Diamond
Final price: $1.1 million
Estimate: $800,000 – $1.2 million
Featuring a cut-cornered rectangular step-cut diamond flanked by trapezoid stones.

8. Barbara & Frank Sinatra Diamond Ring
Final price: $990,600
Estimate: $800,000 – $1.2 million
Showcasing a 20.60-carat emerald-cut D, VVS1 diamond between triangular side stones.

9. Multi-Stone Diamond Earrings
Final price: $863,600
Estimate: $500,000 – $700,000
Each earring includes three pear-shaped diamonds, the largest being an 11.36-carat D VS2 and a 9.96-carat E VS1.

10. JAR Ruby and Diamond Earrings
Final price: $787,400
Estimate: $400,000 – $600,000
Designed with cushion, oval, pear, and round rubies surrounded by diamonds.

What This Means for the Market

The exceptional performance of Paraiba tourmaline and Kashmir sapphire pieces highlights continued buyer appetite for rare, high-quality coloured gemstones, particularly those with strong provenance or iconic branding. Record prices at auction also reaffirm the importance of independent grading and authentication, an area where the DCLA remains Australia’s trusted authority.

32ct ‘Desert Rose’ Diamond Sets Auction Record in Abu Dhabi

A remarkable 32-carat fancy vivid orangy-pink diamond has achieved a new auction record at Sotheby’s inaugural Collectors’ Week in Abu Dhabi. The stone, known as the Desert Rose, sold for $8.8 million, exceeding its high estimate of $7 million.

The pear-shaped, 31.68-carat, VVS1-clarity diamond presented unmounted headlined the Precision & Brilliance: Prestigious Jewels & Watches from an Important Private Collection sale on 5 December. Sotheby’s confirmed it is now the most valuable orangy-pink diamond ever sold at auction.

Collectors’ Week featured five curated sales spanning luxury categories including automobiles, real estate, handbags, watches, and high jewellery, marking a major milestone for Sotheby’s presence in the UAE.

The remaining top jewellery lots included:

Tiffany & Co. Kashmir Sapphire Ring
A 5.61-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire with round-diamond accents achieved $596,900, above its $550,000 high estimate.
Boucheron Colombian Emerald Ring
Featuring a 7.88-carat emerald framed by 14 pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds, this piece sold for $508,000, slightly above expectations.
Cartier Colombian Emerald Ring
Centred with a 4-carat step-cut emerald and flanked by pear-shaped diamonds, the ring reached $495,300, well beyond its $350,000 upper estimate.
Fancy Colour Diamond Ear Clips
Set with 14 pear-shaped diamonds including D- to F-colour stones and fancy pink and fancy green gems the pair fetched $215,900, surpassing its $200,000 high estimate.

Other Top Jewellery Highlights

Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 Set
A complete set of four double-dialled clock watches in yellow gold, white gold, pink gold and platinum realised $11.9 million, achieving expectations.

Rolex Daytona “Albino” (circa 1971)
An exceptionally rare model sold for $952,500, narrowly missing its upper estimate.

Growth in LVMH Watch and Jewelry Sales

LVMH’s watch and jewelry maisons saw organic growth of 2 per cent in Q3 2025, driven by Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari, the company said in an update published yesterday.

It follows two consecutive quarters of zero growth for the sector.

Overall, the French luxury conglomerate reported quarterly organic growth of 1 per cent (up to EUR 18.3bn) across its 75 maisons, led by fashion and leather goods. In Q1 it fell by 3 per cent and in Q2 by 4 per cent.

Total revenue for the watch and jewelry sector was EUR 2.3bn for the quarter, and EUR 7.4bn for the first nine months of 2025.

LVMH, which owns Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co., Chaumet, Fred, Repossi, TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith, does not provide figures on a brand-by-brand basis.

It said Tiffany & Co had “continued the successful enhancement of its iconic lines and the global rollout of its store concept inspired by The Landmark in New York”. And it reported high levels of traffic and revenue at its new stores in Milan and Tokyo.

LVMH said sales across all sectors were down year-on-year in Japan and stable in Europe and the US and up in Asia.

The conglomerate “showed good resilience and maintained its powerful innovative momentum despite a disrupted geopolitical and economic environment,” it said.

Source: IDEX

Tiffany & Co. Brings Diamonds to Centre Court at the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open may be best known for its high-intensity rallies and dramatic tiebreaks, but this year, Tiffany & Co. has ensured the spotlight also falls on sparkle. At the 2025 tournament, the jeweller unveiled an exclusive pop-up installation at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, highlighted by a diamond-encrusted tennis racket.

Positioned at Fountain Plaza, the immersive Tiffany space is unmistakable, marked by a striking oversized Tiffany Blue tennis ball. Inside, visitors are met with the U.S. Open Championship Trophies—the Men’s and Women’s Singles Cups—each meticulously handcrafted in Tiffany’s Rhode Island workshop. These sterling silver pieces, produced by master silversmiths since 1987, require approximately six months of labour, with more than 60 hours dedicated to precision engraving and finishing.

The Diamond Showpiece

The centrepiece of this year’s display is the Tiffany HardWear tennis racket, adorned with nearly five carats of diamonds across its face. It is accompanied by a 24-karat gold vermeil tennis ball, embellished with a further seven carats of diamonds. While hardly designed for a match on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the pairing reflects Tiffany’s blend of craftsmanship, innovation, and luxury—an exercise in artistry rather than athletics.

Heritage Meets Modern Spectacle

Tiffany & Co.’s long-standing association with sporting excellence is well established. Beyond its near four-decade legacy of producing the U.S. Open trophies, the house also crafts other icons of American sport, including the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy and the NBA Finals’ Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Yet this year’s U.S. Open activation goes beyond tradition. In collaboration with Meta, Tiffany has introduced an AI-powered digital experience, allowing fans to virtually place themselves at centre court, holding a championship trophy for a keepsake “trophy selfie.”

Diamonds in the Spotlight

The Tiffany pop-up runs throughout the tournament until 7 September, giving both tennis enthusiasts and jewellery aficionados an opportunity to step into Tiffany’s world of diamonds and silverware. The installation serves as a reminder that while the U.S. Open celebrates grit and athletic achievement, glamour and craftsmanship continue to share the stage.

Job Losses at Tiffany Subsidiary in Antwerp

A subsidiary of Tiffany & Co plans to lay off 26 of its 42 staff in Antwerp amid the ongoing slump in demand.

Laurelton Diamonds, a De Beers sightholder, was established in 2002 to procure rough diamonds, and to cut, polish and supply polished stones to its own jewelry manufacturers. It has operations in Belgium, Vietnam, Canada, Botswana, South Africa and beyond.

The company, wholly owned by Tiffany, blames the possible job losses on weak demand from China and the US, together with competition from lab growns.

“For the workforce the news came as a bolt out of the blue,’ said Yves Toutenel of the Christian ACV union ((Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond), according to VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster.

“In 2018, the company closed its cutting plant in Antwerp. At that time, 20 staff were laid off. Laurelton now intends to make 18 blue-collar staff and eight white-collar workers redundant by the autumn.”

He said he feared Laurelton was making redundancies too quickly and said there were early signs that the diamond industry could be recovering.

Source: IDEX

Swallowing Tiffany & Co Diamonds Earrings

It’s hard to swallow. In fact most of us would probably choke trying to down over 13 carats of Tiffany’s finest diamonds.

But that, allegedly, is how Jaythan Lawrence Gilder, aged 32, responded when cops in the US finally caught up with him last week.

He swallowed two pairs of earrings that had been stolen a couple of days earlier from the Tiffany & Co store at the Mall of Millenia, in Orlando, Florida, according to an arrest affidavit.

The Orlando Police Department say X-rays taken in custody appear to confirm their suspicions, though at the time of writing they were waiting for nature to take its course.

Gilder allegedly posed as the representative of an Orlando Magic basketball player so that he’d be taken to a private room to view high-value items.

Police said he grabbed a pair of 8.19-carat diamond earrings (valued at $609,500), and a 4.86-carat diamond pair (valued at $160,000) together with a ring valued at $587,000 (no description given).

He then pushed past an employee, according to the arrest affidavit, and escaped in a blue 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander.

Two days later he was apprehended by Florida Highway Patrol troopers who spotted his vehicle. He was arrested on 48 outstanding warrants for other offences, but the officers couldn’t immediately locate the stolen Tiffany jewelry.

While in custody, however, Gilder reportedly asked jail staff whether he was going to be charged with “what’s in my stomach”. A scan revealed “foreign objects” that appeared to be the stolen earrings.

“These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected by WCSO (Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Florida) after they are passed through Gilder’s system prior to confirming,” the arrest report states.

It is indeed a bizarre crime, but it is not unique. In fact Joan Hannington, aka The Godmother, perfected the technique of diamond swallowing over a long and notorious criminal career.

It started when she was working in a high-end jewelry store in London in the 1970s. Realizing that the surveillance cameras weren’t working, she took a handful of loose diamonds from the safe on impulse and swallowed them. It later turned out they were worth Â£800,000.

“Swallowing diamonds was my life, my buzz, my drug,” she later wrote in her memoir I Am What I Am.

For the next 20 years she used the same technique – as described in her second memoir, Joan: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Diamond Thief, and as depicted in the fictionalized 2024 TV series Joan.

She’d visit a jewelry store, posing as a wealthy US tourist, often in a fur coat. She’d flirt outrageously with the salesman, while carefully memorizing her target piece.

She’d later return with a cheap but convincing replica, fake a sneeze as she was viewing the piece for a second time, and swallow the genuine item. She’d then sterilize the stolen gems in a bowl of gin and sell them on to a fence.

Hannington, now aged 68, was sentenced to 30 months for possession of a stolen check book when she was 24,but she says she was never jailed for her diamond swallowing escapades. She does however suffer painful ulcers as a long-term consequence.

Source: John Jeffay IDEX

Tiffany Buys Back Titanic Watch for Record $1.97m

Tiffany & Co paid a record $1.97m for a gold pocket watch it made in 1912, and which was gifted to the captain of a ship that rescued more than 700 passengers and crew from the Titanic.

The watch was sold by UK auction house Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd last month, but the buyer’s identity was not revealed at the time.

Tiffany & Co has now announced that it was behind the “record-breaking acquisition” – the highest price ever paid for an item of Titanic memorabilia.

The watch was a gift from three wealthy women who were saved by the passenger ship R.M.S. Carpathia as the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, with the loss of over 1,500 lives. The recipient was Captain (later Sir) Arthur H. Rostron.

A ledger in The Tiffany Archives records that the watch was purchased by Mrs. G. D. Widener, one of the three women.

It is engraved with the inscription “Presented to Captain Rostron with the heartfelt gratitude and appreciation of three survivors of the Titanic April 15th 1912, Mrs. John B. Thayer, Mrs. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. George D. Widener”.

The previous record for a Titanic-related object sold at auction was also a pocket watch, which sold for $1.485m earlier this year.

“The fact the world record price for Titanic memorabilia has been broken twice this year demonstrates the ever-decreasing supply and an ever-increasing demand for memorabilia related to the ship,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge.

Source: IDEX

Tiffany “Losing Staff to New Sales Targets”

Tiffany & Co is reported to be losing staff after setting unachievable sales targets.

Employees at the flagship Fifth Avenue store – newly rebranded as The Landmark – have received lower commissions as a result and many have moved elsewhere, according to sources who spoke anonymously to Fashion Network.

The fashion news website says staff at The Landmark, which generates 10 per cent of all Tiffany revenue, were set a $60m sales target for December 2023, compared to $30m the previous year.

Before the LVMH acquisition of Tiffany, for $16bn in 2021, monthly targets were typically increased by 5 per cent or 10 per cent.

Employees at The Landmark reportedly sold $50m last December. A hefty increase on 2022, but not enough to meet the company’s target.

Tiffany has also been falling short of the $25m monthly targets set for Q1 of 2024, according to the Fashion Network report.

It said some employees claimed they’d been told three quarters of the store’s 350 staff had left in a year.

A Tiffany spokesperson said earning for its top 20 client advisors were up by as much as 75 per cent on the previous year.

Source: IDEX

Robust Business for Vintage Jewels at Winter Show

Seven days into the Winter Show antiques, art and design fair, there was still a steady flow of well-heeled collectors moving about the Park Avenue Armory on New York’s Upper East side. In its 70th year, the show, which ran from January 19 to 28, featured 76 exhibitors from seven countries including about nine exhibitors who specialize in collectible jewels. Several of the jewelry galleries and dealers have been longtime participants in the annual show, and nearly all were happy with business this year.

Each of the jewelry exhibitors holds a unique niche in antique and period jewels, and most say collectors were looking at a broad range of pieces that these dealers offered. As always, signed jewels were popular, but so were unsigned pieces. People were also looking for easily wearable and versatile pieces. Jewels and sketches by René Lalique were seen throughout the fair.

One of the exhibitors that had good results from pieces by the French jewelry artist was London-based Wartski, which focuses on Fabergé objects and historic European jewels, many with royal pedigree. The person behind the stand said attendees were looking for a variety of pieces from the firm’s vast collection of European and Russian jewels. Lalique was popular.

***An Italian Renaissance Revival Bracelet. (Winter Show)***

Benjamin Macklowe of Macklowe Gallery in New York also featured Lalique jewelry, displaying about a dozen items by the Art Nouveau jeweler at its booth this year.

“We sold across our product line. Bulgari, Cartier, Lalique and more,” he said. “Every time we sold something, regardless of the price, it was a great example of what it was.”

Macklowe’s firm handles Tiffany & Co. lamps and objects, furniture, and antique and period jewels. Among the highlights of its sales was a pair of Bulgari ruby cabochon earrings for $175,000.

***A Bulgari Toi & Moi ring in platinum and yellow gold set with diamonds and a Burma ruby from Véronique Bamps. (Winter Show)***

Veteran exhibitors reported feeling pleased with the outcome of the show.

This year’s installment drew “one of the best crowds” they’d ever seen, said Carrie Imberman and her brother Matthew Imberman, owners of Kentshire in New York, who have been working the Winter Show for 33 years. Like others, they say sales from the show continue after it’s over, based on the relationships they form.

Signed jewels were also popular. Among the company’s sales during the show was an Art Deco Boucheron diamond bracelet, a Hermès gold panel necklace and bombé diamond ring, and an Art Deco diamond bracelet by Cartier.

***An Art Moderne gold and diamond bracelet in 18k and platinum by René Boivin. (Winter Show)***

“We’ve had a good fair,” Matthew said. “We have jewels from different periods, designers and a variety of gem-set pieces. People are buying items that have a specific meaning to them.”

A La Vieille Russie has exhibited at the Winter Show almost since its inception. The company has expertise in Fabergé and other art objects of Russian origin, as well as European antique and vintage jewels. Peter Schaffer, one of the family members who lead the company, and specialist Adam Patrick were satisfied with the fair, saying they made some sales but just as importantly, they had the opportunity to meet new potential clients. For many, buying historic jewels isn’t an impulse purchase.

It’s the third time exhibiting at the Winter Show for Monaco-based dealer Véronique Bamps, who sells signed pieces from historic jewelry houses and designers. She plans to return, saying it attracts both well-cultured locals and an international crowd.

“I’ve spoken to people from a lot of countries and states,” she said. “[This show] attracts a very large crowd. And a lot of younger people who are buying pieces that they feel they could wear every day.”

***Victorian ruby and diamond butterfly brooch, circa 1890. (ALVR)***

For New York ladies, she added, the period is less significant. “The key is elegance when they buy jewelry,” she observed. “They fall in love, and they buy.”

Perhaps no one at the show was more pleased than Didier and Martine Haspeslagh, owners of Didier, a London-based firm that specializes in artist-designed jewels acquired on the secondary market. The couple sold several important pieces, including creations in the “five-figure” range by artists comprising Arnaldo Pomodoro, Franco Cannilla, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Sonia Delaunay, among others.

“We’ve had a very good show,” said Didier Haspeslagh. “We’ve had a number of new clients. This fair attracts people with taste, money and a need for artistic content.” People were most attracted to “big, spectacular pieces,” he continued.

18k yellow gold necklace with three abstract repoussé pendants with kinetic elements, and set with diamonds. Designed by Italian artist, Afro Basaldella, and made in the gold workshop of Mario Masenza, Rome. On offer by Didier.
***(Winter Show)***

Like others, Simon Teakle, whose eponymous firm is located in Greenwich, Connecticut, said that jewels by the European heritage brands were popular at the show. “There’s always a demand for signed jewels,” he noted.

***Simon Teakle pair of cameo and diamond earrings by Hemmerle.***
***(Winter Show)***

Another gallery owner who cited Art Deco jewels was James Boening, director of New York-based James Robinson, a New York-based gallery that spotlights vintage jewels, art objects, silver and flatware. He also sold items that can be worn in formal and casual surroundings. “Women are looking for jewels that are versatile,” he said. “Pieces that can be worn with jeans. Pieces that are more approachable.”

***American black opal and diamond cluster ring mounted in platinum and 14k gold, circa 1910, from James Robinson. (Winter Show)***

Still, not everyone experienced successful jewelry sales at the show. Tim Martin, owner of New York-based S.J. Shrubsole specializes in vintage jewels, silver and art objects. While the other two categories did well, jewelry sales were slow, he said.

Source: Rapaport

Tiffany’s tickled pink to be grabbing the world’s last Argyle diamonds

“This is truly once in a lifetime,” says the jeweller’s chief gemologist of the 35 sparklers acquired from the now-closed mine in the Kimberley.

Vicky Reynolds wants to take you on a date with a diamond.

Reynolds, Tiffany & Co’s chief gemologist, has had the enviable task of chaperoning the final 35 Argyle diamonds sold around the world, meeting with potential buyers and discussing exactly how these incredibly rare and exceptional gemstones will be used.

It is, she says, “the stuff my dreams are made of. This is truly once in a lifetime.”

Reynolds has worked with New York-based Tiffany & Co since 1987 – almost as long as the Argyle diamond mine, owned by Rio Tinto, operated in Western Australia’s East Kimberley region (it opened in 1983). When the mine closed in 2020 due to finite resources, the final annual tender – ordinarily a highly anticipated and prestigious event on the gemstone calendar – was considered the hottest ticket going.

The Argyle mine produced 90 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds, and each year, only 50 to 60 were ever offered in an invitation-only tender process. So when Rio Tinto rang Reynolds after the tender, to offer Tiffany and Co a further 35 diamonds noted for their vivid pink and purple colour, she jumped at the chance.

Source: afr.com