Tiffany & Co.'s latest high-jewellery collection transforms florals into sparkling delights

Fashion always finds its way back to florals. Botanics, blooms and the creatures that live in our gardens have long inspired and captivated designers. And this season is no different with Tiffany’s & Co. reimagining important floral motifs from The Tiffany Archives to bring the botanical to high-jewellery life.

The collection, aptly named ‘Botanica: Blue Book 2022’, revises Louis Comfort Tiffany's Queen Anne's lace-inspired hair ornaments, notable botanical jewels of irises, poppies and tulips seen throughout the years, as well as the late Tiffany & Co’s Jean Schlumberger's naturalistic masterworks. In fact, this is the first time some of Schlumberger’s work has been transformed from sketch to prized possessions.

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“When we uncovered a sketch of Jean Schlumberger’s Fleurage bracelet, a design that he once considered for the Tiffany Diamond but was never bought to life, we knew it would be the perfect design to frame the 48-carat esteemed aquamarine that we acquired,” explains Tiffany & Co.’s vice president, chief gemologist Victoria Wirth Reynolds. The result is a grandiose design of vibrant hues and diamond foliage elements.

Under the three themes, Painted Blossom, Queen Anne's Lace, and the visionary designs of Jean Schlumberger, the collection of brooches, bangles, necklaces and rings are also a lesson in creating one-of-a-kind jewels through complex techniques. The creation of the collection wasn’t just about looking back, it was about finding modern ways to push artisans to bring to life intricate designs. Case in point: Wirth Reynolds explains that to make the Iris Brooch, an artisan had to custom cut yellow diamonds to accent the stem. “A feat of complex craftsmanship rarely achieved by even the most accomplished jewellers.”

She further adds, “First created in 1958, Schlumberger’s Flowers and Leaves necklace is a true masterpiece. Our artisans spent nearly two years handcrafting the intricate design over a span of nearly 1,000 hours.”

The collection is also an ode to the beauty of the gemstones Tiffany’s & Co works with. For Wirth Reynolds this is evident in Schlumberger’s Feuillage necklace, in which each flower bud element contains “over 100 total carats of cabochon tanzanites, a striking midnight-blue gemstone that Tiffany & Co. introduced to the world in 1968.”

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So what is Wirth Reynolds pick of the sparkling delights? “The Thistle designs,” she quickly says. “We used trillion-cut gemstones throughout this theme to capture the sharp, spiky texture of the plant. On one extraordinary necklace, we cut Australian sapphires in this pyramid shape and set them as close together as possible with as little space between each. Evoking a single thistle, it appears as if it is made from one sapphire. Upon closer look, you can see each individual trillion-cut sapphire creating the intricate texture.”