The exquisite, artistic legacy of Tiffany & Co is once more to the fore with the unveiling of the third and final chapter of the house’s ‘Botanica: Blue Book’ collection for 2022. The ongoing Blue Book collection, a fantastical ode to the rarity and craft surrounding high jewellery, draws from Tiffany’s 185-year history to create collectible contemporary pieces, only accessible to a select few.
In continuing with the collection’s theme this year, which was inspired by floral references to symbolise the energy of rebirth as well as the transience of nature, ‘Botanica: Blue Book’ immortalises the forms of magnolias, wisterias and orchids in jewels, with each piece carrying deep technical and historical significance to boot.
The choices of floral varieties in this chapter were not made by coincidence. Wisteria was an iconic feature of Louis Comfort Tiffany's table lamps from the Art Nouveau period and has been reinterpreted by Tiffany jewellers through the use of hand-carved chalcedony, pear-shaped sapphires and diamonds that nestle amongst the petals.
'Wisteria is an homage to the archive Tiffany & Co flower that also honours Louis Comfort Tiffany's colourful, leaded glass creations,' says Victoria Wirth Reynolds, the house's chief gemologist and vice president. 'The hand-carved chalcedony petals have these beautiful translucent hues with an intentional gradation of colour.'
Similarly, the magnolia flower has also been a recurring motif. From leaded glass windows to historic jewellery designs and the Magnolia vase, which was displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and is now housed at The Met, the flower is a mainstay in Tiffany's archive and is reimagined through the use of tsavorite and morganite – legacy gemstones that the house popularised.
Most exquisite of all may be the series of one-off creations inspired by the pieces of designer Jean Schlumberger, who was famed for his work at Tiffany & Co. From the ‘Bird on the Rock’ brooch to the intricate ‘Vigne’ and ‘Trellis’ suites, these stunning assemblages of impressive gemstones each showcase an otherworldly level of technicality and intricacy rarely seen.
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