This is how to see Tiffany & Co.'s mythical 287.42 carat diamond this summer

If you go into London’s Saatchi Gallery today, you’re in for a big surprise. A Tiffany & Co. takeover is in full swing; with walls dappled in that signature blue, dazzling with diamonds and snapshots of history from 185 years of one of the world’s most iconic jewellers.

This landmark exhibition, Vision & Virtuosity, first stepped out in Shanghai in 2019. Its European incarnation, which coincides with 150 years of Tiffany & Co.’s in London, is an even grander affair. With more treasures unearthed from the vault. Over 400 priceless slices of history to be exact and fresh delights, like the recently acquired Empire diamond of a whopping 80 carats. This is a celebration of a brand with a legacy like no other.

Tiffany & Co.’s status has remained largely unaffected in recent years. We know it for its statement blue, its proficiency at forging a classic engagement ring and as the ideal spot for breakfast in a little black dress and pearls. But Vision & Virtuosity invites you to look beyond the known and peer deeper ⁠— as though through a jeweller’s loupe eyeglass ⁠— at the brand’s enthralling past and consummate reputation for innovation and excellence. There is a reason, after all, that Charles Lewis Tiffany was dubbed ‘the King of Diamonds.’

"The one thing in the house that has remained constant over 185 years has really been our authority position on diamonds," says the brand’s chief gemologist Victoria Reynolds. "I've looked at a lot of stones in my life, and I can tell you a Tiffany diamond is unparalleled…"

Both the founder’s moniker, and Reynolds’ assessment, are not unfounded. Exhibited here are some of the rarest stones and finely crafted diamonds from across the house’s 185 years.

Related: Bulgari’s jewellery director talks us through the house’s jaw-dropping new high jewellery collection

Such is the brand’s current status, it is easy to forget that prior to Charles Lewis Tiffany, America did not have a reputation on the world stage for jewellery. In these display cases are diamonds which once belonged to Marie Antoinette, as well as bracelets, brooches and necklaces crafted by the house’s legendary French jeweller Jean Michel Schlumberger, who designed for Tiffany & Co from 1956 until the late 1970s. That a renowned French jeweller like Schlumberger would choose to make his name in an American jewellery house is a testament to Tiffany’s commitment to excellence and also their elevation of North American stones, like the rare Maine tourmalines and Montana sapphires displayed here.

Schlumberger’s stones were crafted in endlessly imaginative ways for a coterie of fascinating clients and friends, from Jackie Kennedy and Greta Garbo to Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Vreeland, who travelled with a particular Schlumberger brooch wherever she went. "You can never own too many Schlumberger pieces," Reynolds says, lovingly, about the man whose legacy echoes through Tiffany’s charm and quality and can be seen in works by subsequent designers, also displayed here, like Paloma Picasso and Elsa Peretti.

The exhibition goes to great length to lean into these quirkier aspects; revelling in pieces from its Jazz Age years, like gold-plate cigarette cases, and necklaces with detachable jewelled beetles from the 1960s, to the playful windows of the New York store, lovingly recreated here. Each room has been beautifully and thoughtfully curated; from the fully reconstructed façade of the midtown flagship store (complete with yellow cab) in which is encased Audrey Hepburn’s original Givenchy dress and script from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to an interactive 'love' room, in which you can scrawl an affectionate note on the Tiffany blue wall and watch it soar virtually around the engagement rings on display.

Related: “It takes around 3000 hours to make a single piece of jewellery”: Step behind the curtain at Cartier

Of course, the star of the show remains the almost mythical Tiffany diamond. All 287.42 carats of her, are currently vacationing in London. "Back in 1877, this was really revolutionary because no diamond of this size had been found yet," Reynold explains, gazing adoringly at the stone itself, nestled securely in its own room at the exhibition. "It stays magical even now - the true north star of the house."

If this north star leads you to the Saatchi Gallery this summer, trust me, you will not be disappointed with what you find inside.

Vision & Virtuosity by Tiffany & Co. will be at the Saatchi Gallery, London until August 19.