Tiffany & Co. Takes The Business Of Its Diamonds Very Seriously

It’s not an overstatement to say that Tiffany & Co. invented the modern engagement ring as we know it. When the brand’s founder Charles Lewis Tiffany introduced the Tiffany Setting in 1886, he gave the world a design that would soon become the blueprint of what an engagement ring is: A ring with a diamond held up high above its gold band by six discreet prongs, just so that it can shine with abandonment—and shine brilliantly it does in a multitude of ways. 

For one, the American luxury house has an extremely strict criteria on which gems make the cut: Just 0.04 percent of the world’s gem grade diamonds have what it takes to be a Tiffany diamond. Then there’s the fact that every Tiffany diamond above 0.18 carats comes wrapped with the jeweller’s promise of sustainability, traceability and transparency, to ensure that the stone you choose is as pure and beautiful as the love you celebrate.

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An Unwavering Commitment

This is in no small part thanks to Tiffany & Co.’s Diamond Source Initiative. Launched in 2019, the initiative saw the House committing itself to 100 percent geographic transparency; and promising to provide clients with information on the country or region of origin for every newly sourced, individually registered diamond above 0.18 carats. 

It was the first global luxury jeweller to make such a move, and a year and a half later, the brand took yet another unprecedented step in diamond traceability with its promise to share the full craftsmanship journey of its newly acquired stones—from where they were cut and polished, graded and quality assured, as well as set in jewellery. 

By laying bare all the details surrounding its diamonds, Tiffany & Co. provides a rare glimpse at every step of the stone’s journey, from its deep earth extraction to the vitrines of one of its 326 stores around the world. It’s a promise of accountability that stems not only from the House’s commitment to offer conflict‐free gems, but also its strict levels of craftsmanship, safe and healthy working environments, and other factors that contribute to the overall positive impact on communities and the planet. (In addition to five jewellery manufacturing workshops in North America, Tiffany & Co. owns and operates five diamond polishing workshops, where close to 1,500 craftsmen ensure excellence of cut, and allow it to uphold its quality as well as ecological and social responsibility standards.) 

Of Love And Beauty

As impressive as all this sounds, it’s perhaps the sparkling results that truly clinch the deal. Over the years, Tiffany & Co. has continued to affirm its reputation as an authority on love and commitment with the regular launch of new engagement and wedding ring collections to bolster its already encompassing range of designs and diamond cuts. 

Take, for example, the Tiffany True collection launched in 2018. The ultra‐sleek and minimalist architecture of its creations, marked with a discreet “T” motif on the side, is the perfect counterpoint to the relatively more ornate designs of the Schlumberger and Soleste ranges; providing women with even more options of a ring that speaks of her personality and style. And much like the Tiffany Setting, each Tiffany True creation bears its stone proudly above the ring so that full attention is given to the square diamond—a fancy cut that results in the optimal surface area of a diamond’s table (its main facet) for maximum dispersion of light—that sits in its midst. 

Men, too, are included in the equation with the introduction of the House’s first men’s engagement ring collection, aptly called the Charles Tiffany Setting, last year. The solitaire diamond signet rings are a bold, modern affair that offer an alternative to the plain wedding bands that men are so commonly limited to. Forged from platinum or titanium, the rings are currently available with brilliant‐ and emerald‐cut diamonds of up to 5 carats; although we won’t be surprised if more diamond shapes start appearing in the range with subsequent releases. 

A Blue Planet

Recent years have seen words such as “sustainability” and “social responsibility” progress from feel‐good buzzwords to an industry standard. At Tiffany & Co., however, those words have governed the brand’s business practices for the past 27 years, and led it to take the lead on initiatives and campaigns that impact both people and planet—from human rights concerns to eco‐conservation. (Visit Tiffany’s Sustainability website for more details.) 

And those are the values that imbrues each Tiffany Blue Box and the diamond within, the promise of love and commitment—to yourself and beyond.