The House presents a unique piece of high jewelry inspired by one of its most iconic creations.
Jean Schlumberger (June 24, 1907 – August 29, 1987) is alive and well: Tiffany & Co. has repeatedly revisited his design work. The latest stage in the high jewelry revival is represented by Legendary Bird: The Sapphire Edition, a one-of-a-kind piece that pays homage to Schlumberger’s iconic Bird on a Rock, which the designer introduced in 1965. Each year, Tiffany & Co. presents a unique piece from the Legendary Bird collection to celebrate the timeless legacy of the Bird on a Rock.
The piece is crafted with a refined composition and an unprecedented balance of black opals, sapphires, pearls, mother-of-pearl, diamonds, and rubies. Tiffany High Jewelry artisans handcrafted this piece in 18k yellow gold and platinum, setting two exceptional stones: an extraordinary 34.48-carat oval Sri Lankan sapphire, natural and untreated, and a second 6.04-carat oval Sri Lankan sapphire, also natural and untreated.
With this creation, I wanted to evoke a nature in constant renewal, shaped by micro-movements and delicate, nuanced details that reveal themselves only to those who take the time to truly observe. The birds hover above a floral arrangement in full bloom, halfway between a crocus and an orchid. They recall hummingbirds, the smallest of birds, attracted by the sapphire pistil at the center of the flower.
Nathalie Verdeille, Senior Vice President – Chief Artistic Officer, Jewelry and High Jewelry
Both central gems are framed by Bird on a Rock motifs and floral elements, embellished with slender, custom-cut black opal elements and mother-of-pearl. The floral motifs are inspired by the House’s iconic orchid, often featured in the celebrated Tiffany lamps in iridescent Favrile glass created between the 19th and 20th centuries. The birds’ feathers are delicately adorned with diamonds and mother-of-pearl inlays, creating a vibrant and strikingly lifelike contrast. Each black opal element is cut with extreme precision and individually set, creating a sculptural, three-dimensional silhouette that requires extraordinary technical expertise.
The new Bird on a Rock by Tiffany creations reimagine one of the House’s most iconic motifs in new high jewelry and fine jewelry creations. The pieces are inspired by the original Bird on a Rock brooch, reinterpreted through the creative vision of Nathalie Verdeille. The new jewelry pieces feature figurative birds embellished with details inspired by the Maison’s archive creations. Two abstract collections, meanwhile, strip the concept of flight to its essence: Wings, an expression of jewelry, and Feathers, a new high jewelry collection.
