In 1904, Eleanor Roosevelt received a Tiffany ring with the signature Tiffany setting from future American president Franklin D Roosevelt. “You could not have found a ring I would have liked better,” she wrote to her then-fiancé, likely experiencing the elation that any woman feels when presented with a box in trademark Tiffany blue.
It was in 1886, 130 years ago, that the Tiffany setting was first introduced by the company’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany. Though the design was groundbreaking at the time, Tiffany was probably unaware that he was setting a benchmark for brides-to-be all around the world for more than a century to come.
See more: A look at the most impressive engagement rings in history
In the late 1800s, most engagement rings were set with the stone situated very close to the band, which often featured elaborate engravings and other embellishments. Tiffany, meanwhile, wanted to celebrate the glory of the diamond in an enchanting, uncomplicated design – one that continues to reign as a classic style in fine jewellery. Shortly after its debut, the Tiffany setting became so widely sought after that the brand began issuing advertisements to warn the public against imitations.
The trademarked setting is signified by the slightly raised positioning of a brilliant-cut round diamond above a gold band. It is elevated by six prongs, which are designed with V-shaped scoops, so that the diamond gets maximum visibility. Between the V-shaped scoops of the prongs are small gaps where the culet, or bottom point of the diamond, is situated, giving the impression that the diamond is floating above the band. The tips of the prongs are low-domed, so that the stone is held securely right above its girdle, while not impeding on the appearance of the crown, the upward slant at the top of the jewel. The revolutionary setting also allows light to easily shine through the diamond, in between the wide-set V-shaped prongs.
"Each ring is custom-made by a master craftsman and built around the exact size of an individual diamond," says Melvyn Kirtley, chief gemologist of Tiffany & Co. "I'm proud to say that our parameters for selecting diamonds far exceed those established by the industry.
“An astonishing 99.96 per cent of the world’s gem-grade diamonds fall short of our standards. The remaining .04 per cent is the elite of diamonds in colour (D-E) and clarity (IF-VS2), which indicate stones of superb quality and transparency,” he adds.
Read this and related stories in Luxury magazine's Watches & Jewellery issue, out with The National on Thursday, April 14.
hlodi@thenational.ae
