Tiffany has always defined her jewels as small works of art. And this is often true of pieces created by famous designers, such as Elsa Peretti or Jean Schlumberger. But for some time now, the American brand that has passed under the wing of the French group LVMH has not limited creativity to the world of design or high jewelery. Tiffany has now linked its brand to the world of contemporary art, with a new communication strategy that sets out in unknown territories. The brand’s new partnership, for example, is with Kendrick Lamar who, together with his longtime creative collaborator and co-founder of pgLang Dave Free, commissioned Tiffany to create a bespoke crown in titanium and diamond pavé.
The idea comes after, within a couple of years, Tiffany announced a Basquiat-inspired Advent calendar, a collaboration with Daniel Arsham, the New York artist partnership with Curtis Kulig, the exhibition of a maxi sculpture by Daniele Papuli, not counting the Mughal-style glasses, identical to those auctioned at Sotheby’s in October 2021, worn by singer Pharrell Williams (maybe it was a performance?).
The collaboration with Kendrick Lamar is defined by Tiffany as rich in meaning and symbolism. Indeed, since the crown of thorns is associated with the gospel account describing the last acts of Jesus’ life, it is a highly symbolic object. The crown was crafted by Tiffany’s artisans in New York over ten months. Lamar wore the crown during his headlining performance in Glastonbury on June 26, 2022.
Kendrick Lamar represents the art, risky creativity and relentless innovation that he has also called Tiffany & Co. for nearly two centuries. We are proud and incredibly excited to work with a visionary like Kendrick to realize his vision for the crown.
Alexandre Arnault, executive vice president, product and communications, Tiffany & Co
The crown is crafted with a micro-paved setting with diamonds of various sizes, each set tightly together to maximize brilliance, giving a naturalistic quality to the piece. Each diamond was set by hand and the prongs were also handcrafted. Typically, the prongs are cast in place. Instead, with this piece the artisans (Italians, presumably in Valenza) fixed each of the 8,000 diamonds, over 137 carats, in place, then cut the metal and folded it over to create the prongs, a process typically reserved for the high jewelry.
Lamar and Free first approached the Tiffany & Co. design team in 2021 with their idea for a Crown of Thorns-inspired headdress. Probably one of the most widely recognized symbols of religious iconography, which Tiffany describes as a “metaphor for artistry, humility and perseverance”. In addition to the religious reference, the artists were also inspired by the iconic Thorns brooch by Jean Schlumberger, which the legendary designer created in 1947, before joining Tiffany & Co in 1956. In this case, however, every reference religious is absent. Schlumberger’s Thorns brooch is more reminiscent of a bird’s nest rather than a crown of thorns: it has thorny protrusions handcrafted in 18k yellow gold surrounding a 47-carat sapphire, it is currently on display at the Maison’s Vision & Virtuosity exhibition in London, until 19 August.
