In the new Tiffany Blue Book collection entitled The Art of Transformation, the finest diamonds, sapphires and colored gemstones have been used in a stunning range of Tiffany jewelry designed to capture the wonder of nature.
From ferns unfurling in a mesmerizing diamond cuff, which took Tiffany's craftsmen 1,000 hours to set by hand, to a pair of starfish pins whose angular diamond bodies contrast with mouthwatering clusters of pink tourmaline and rubellite beads, the collection shows design director Francesca Amfitheatrof at the top of her game.
Tiffany celebrated the unveiling with a glittering gala held in New York, where Francesca was joined by Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel and Diane Kruger.
The collection includes the magnificent carpet of diamonds that Cate Blanchett wore around her neck to the Costume Designers Guild Awards in Los Angeles in February. The fully articulated Tiffany bib, which was inspired by the changes in the night sky as it turns to daylight, features more than 3,400 brilliant-cut diamonds. Cate also wore the diamond starfish Tiffany cuff to the Academy Awards. “We tried to capture these fascinating forms in a way that’s unexpected - just as nature never fails to astonish us with its shifting colors and shapes,” says Francesca. In another version, the fish are realized in diamonds, sapphires and tsavorites, creating a pattern of continuous color and elegant movement.
A further cuff features diamonds in white and varying yellow hues, which suggests sunlight dancing on coral on the ocean floor, while an octopus with a Baroque pearl head and diamond and sapphire tentacles recalls Jean Schlumberger's playful Tiffany animal pins of the 1950s.
As with previous Blue Book collections, outstanding colored gemstones inspired many of the pieces. The golden glow of a 22ct yellow sapphire sparkles like the Sun in one Tiffany pendant. Set in yellow gold to enhance its warmth, the stone is surrounded by diamonds that flow in undulating waves. “As a designer, I am constantly exploring the natural world - the source of all beauty and artistic inspiration,” says Francesca.
