The Legendary Tiffany Yellow Diamond - Ten Facts

The recent news of the return of Tiffany’s Yellow Diamond to the silver screen for Kenneth Branagh's ‘Death on the Nile’ production prompted me to write a blog post about this priceless treasure.

There have been so many write ups, press articles, blogs, videos, publications on this stone - so I didn’t want to make it a lengthy read, here are ten quick facts about the legendary Tiffany Yellow Diamond:

1. The Yellow Diamond was unearthed in 1877, from the Kimberly Mines of South Africa. One of the largest Yellow Diamonds unearthed weighing at 287.42 carats / 57.484 g.

2. Tiffany&Co. Founder Mr. Charles Lewis Tiffany traveled to South Africa to examine the discovery and acquired the rough stone in 1888 for $18,000.

(According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index $18,000 in 1888 may be equivalent to an economy cost of $27,500,000.00 in 2019.)

3. The Yellow Rough Diamond was then brought to Paris where Tiffany’s renowned Gemologist Dr. George F. Kunz (who was fairly new at the company, having joined Tiffany in 1876) studied the rough diamond for an entire year before deciding to facet it.

4. Like all Tiffany Diamonds, the most valuable Tiffany Diamond was cut to enhance its beauty and radiant color rather than preserve size. The Yellow diamond was fashioned with an unprecedented 82 facets—24 more facets than the traditional 58-facet brilliant cut, bringing its weight down to 128.54 carats - a loss of approx 150 carats. I suppose it was worth the weight loss because the diamond sparkles as if lit by an inner flame.

All images belong to Tiffany&Co.

5. The Yellow Diamond has clocked up a lot, a lot of air miles over the years:

• Tiffany Diamond was showcased at multiple World’s Fairs from 1890’s to the 1940’s.

• De Beers’ 100th anniversary celebration in Kimberley, South Africa in 1971

• Re-opening of Tiffany’s stores in London in 1986 and Tokyo in 1996

• In 1995 was exhibited at the Louvre in Paris

• 2006 ‘Bejeweled by Tiffany’ exhibition at Somerset House in London

• In 2007 at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in DC.

• In 2012 the Diamond traveled to Tokyo, Beijing, Dubai and New York City for the 175th anniversary celebrations of Tiffany&Co.

• In 2019 the diamond traveled to Shanghai for Tiffany&Co’s “Vision & Virtuosity” exhibition.

6. Over the past 130 plus years, the diamond has been set in to multiple settings. I believe four settings - although I’m not sure if it’s five. But I know for sure two of the settings were by renowned Tiffany designer Jean Schlumberger.

In 1961, the diamond was set in Schlumberger's Ribbon Rosette necklace, and in 1995 the diamond was mounted in Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock setting for the designer’s 1995 retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In 2012, for Tiffany’s 175th Anniversary, the diamond was set on a necklace alongside approx. 100 total carats of colorless Tiffany Lucida® cut diamonds for a truly show-stopping effect.

All Images belong to Tiffany&Co.

7. Only four women have ever worn the Tiffany Diamond in public:

• Mrs. Mary Whitehouse wore a lavish necklace set with the diamond for the 1957 Tiffany Ball in Newport, Rhode Island

• Audrey Hepburn® wore Jean Schlumberger’s Ribbon Rosette necklace set with the Tiffany Diamond for publicity of the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

• In 2019 Lady Gaga wore the Tiffany Diamond set on the 175th Anniversary necklace the night she won an Oscar for writing “Shallow” in A Star is Born.

• Most recently, we saw Gal Gadot wearing a recreation of the Tiffany Diamond necklace on the star-studded trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile that dropped last Wednesday. The movie is set to release October 23rd.

Image on L: By Micheal Stillwell/Getty Images, From Town and Country Mag

Image on R: By Rob Youngson/20th Century Studios, From Hollywood Reporter

8. Have you wondered if the Tiffany diamond was ever offered for sale? Yes, it was - just once, for 24hrs.

On November 17, 1972 Tiffany&Co. announced on the New York Times, that the un-set stone could be purchased for $5,000,000 (apporx. $30.1 Million today). I suppose no serious buyers came forward.

9. The diamond appeared in the windows of the Fifth Avenue flagship store on one occasion. During the holiday season of 1955, Tiffany’s renowned window designer Gene Moore placed the diamond in the hands of a floating gold wire angel.

Image belongs to Tiffany&Co.

10. If you haven’t seen the Tiffany Yellow Diamond, you MUST! It is a marvel of nature, and one of the most beautiful things on earth. Where to see? The Diamond is planned for tour and exhibition alongside the premier of Death on the Nile - keep you eyes and ears open for when and where.

Also, the Diamond is usually on display at the Fifth Avenue Flagship, if you’re visiting New York City, call the store and find out if the Diamond is on display - if it is, go see it!

Video belongs to Tiffany&Co.

References:

20th Century Studios, & Youngson, R. (2020, August 20). “Death on the Nile” to Feature the Tiffany Diamond in First Appearance Since Lady Gaga’s Oscar Outing [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/death-on-the-nile-to-feature-the-tiffany-diamond-in-first-appearance-since-lady-gagas-oscar-outing

Getty Images, & Stillwell, M. (2019, February 25). Why the Tiffany Diamond Lady Gaga Wore to the Oscars Made the Jewelry World Gasp [Illustration]. Retrieved from https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/jewelry-and-watches/a26519705/lady-gaga-tiffany-diamond-jewelry-oscars-red-carpet-2019/

The Tiffany Diamond | Tiffany & Co. (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2020, from https://www.tiffany.com/high-jewelry/the-tiffany-diamond/#:%7E:text=George%20Frederick%20Kunz%2C%20supervised%20the,inch%20from%20top%20to%20bottom.

The Tiffany Diamond | Tiffany & Co. (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2020, from https://www.tiffany.com/high-jewelry/the-tiffany-diamond/#:%7E:text=George%20Frederick%20Kunz%2C%20supervised%20the,inch%20from%20top%20to%20bottom.

Tiffany&Co. (n.d.-a). Images of Yellow Diamond, Sketch from Tiffany Archives, Ribbon Necklace, Ford on the Rock, Anniversary Necklace, Gene Moore Window Display [Photographs]. Retrieved from http://press.tiffany.com/About/Tiffany/Diamonds/

Tiffany&Co. (n.d.). Tiffany & Co. For The Press | About Tiffany & Co. | The Tiffany Diamond | United States [Press release]. Retrieved August 23, 2020, from http://press.tiffany.com/ViewBackgrounder.aspx?backgrounderId=39