The debut of Tiffany & Co.’s latest Blue Book collection was a six-month affair. In April, at the jeweller’s Fifth Avenue Landmark flagship in New York City, its Sea of Wonder theme surfaced in a theatrical installation of shell-like flourishes and deep navy showcases. Taking inspiration from the work of French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger, who often referenced seascapes in his work, Tiffany’s chief artistic officer of jewellery and fine jewellery, Nathalie Verdeille, presented the first wave of the collection. It played on aquatic inspirations including ocean flora, seahorses, turtles, starfish, urchins and waves.
Ocean inspiration pays homage to designer Jean Schlumberger.Tiffany & Co. Studio./Supplied
In September, 40 additional pieces were unveiled in Milan, with motifs including anchors and mermaids added to its bejewelled, nautical story. According to Victoria Reynolds, Tiffany & Co.’s chief gemologist and vice-president of diamond and gemstone acquisition, what unites it all are the stones themselves. “We unearthed the perfect gemstones to bring this undersea fantasy to life,” she says. “The Wave chapter features blue cuprian elbaite tourmalines that echo the glow of bioluminescence of the ocean, while the unenhanced emeralds from Zambia evoke vibrant underwater plants in Ocean Flora.” Reynolds is particularly proud of the rubies used in the starfish pieces, highlighting how their saturated hue and clarity add a splash of fluorescence to the compositions of stones.
Star stones in the collection include rubies that layer bold colour into the starfish jewelsTiffany & Co. Studio./Supplied
The depth of the Schlumberger archive and his own creative process are also important links. “He transformed realistic images into reinvented objects that were all his own and which he expressed with fascinating complexity,” Reynolds says. “Schlumberger gathered many memories of the sea from his frequent visits to Guadeloupe and his travels to Indonesia and the Antilles.” The Seahorse elements are noteworthy for referencing brooches the designer created in 1968. “We reinterpreted these creatures with a contemporary twist by adorning them with fluted moonstones and an unexpected mix of coloured gemstones, including zircons and sapphires.”
For more, visit tiffany.ca.
Jean Schlumberger’s designs provide lots of source material for the 2025 Blue Book collection – and the fine jewellery world as whole. Here, an abridged biography of the man, told via a selection of his more iconic brooches and clips
ANCHORS AWAY
Tiffany & Co. Studio/Supplied
Jean Schlumberger began his jewellery career in the 1930s, after moving from the Alsace region of France to Paris in his 20s. Legendary fashion surrealist Elsa Schiaparelli asked Schlumberger to create buttons for her clothes and jewellery for her circus-themed couture show in 1938. The chessmen, locks and miniature hand mirrors played into Schiaparelli’s love of surrealism. One year later, Schlumberger designed this Anchor Brooch in gold and platinum with pink sapphires, rubies and amethysts for his own collection.
BOLD FACED NAMES
Tiffany & Co. Studio/Supplied
In 1941, Schlumberger created the Trophée de Vaillance brooch for Diana Vreeland when she was editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Vreeland was so captivated by the piece, in platinum and gold with diamonds, rubies and amethysts, that she kept it on her bedside table. She was just one collector on his list of famous clients, which also included society legends Babe Paley and Bunny Mellon, and actor Elizabeth Taylor.
MADE TO MOVE
Tiffany & Co. Studio/Supplied
The curled tentacles of the 1952 Sea Anemone brooch in gold and platinum with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires is a perfect example of the illusion of movement that is a Schlumberger signature. The wavy motion of starfish limbs, the fluttering of leaves in a gust of wind, and bird wings at rest or in flight were other nature motifs that the designer captured in precious metals and gems.
SWEET SUCCESS
Tiffany & Co. Studio/Supplied
After serving in World War II, Schlumberger moved to New York and set up his own jewellery house. He joined Tiffany & Co. in 1956, the same year he designed this Two Fruits and Leaves brooch in gold and platinum with diamonds and rubies. John F. Kennedy bought one for his wife, Jackie, to mark the birth of their son, John Jr., and Robert Downey Jr. wore a similar version to the 2025 Academy Awards.
Editor’s note: A photo caption in a previous version of this article incorrectly identified the first image as a seahorse brooch. This version has been updated.