Tiffany & Co.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tiffany and Company | |
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| Type | Public (NYSE: TIF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 18, 1837, in New York City, New York |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York |
| Key people | Michael J. Kowalski, Chairman & CEO James E. Quinn, President Charles Lewis Tiffany, Founder John B. Young, Founder |
| Industry | Jewellers and silversmiths |
| Products | Diamonds Jewelry Tableware Gifts and Accessories Silver items |
| Revenue |  $2.2 billion USD (2004) |
| Employees | 7,000 (12/31/2004) |
| Slogan | Diamonds by the Yard |
| Website | www.tiffany.com |
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) is a jewelry and silverware company founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young in New York City in 1837. Tiffany & Co has since opened stores in major cities all over the world.
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[edit] History
Initially established in 1837 as Tiffany & Young (named for partners Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young), a stationery and fancy goods emporium, the original boutique was located in New York City on Broadway and had a revolutionary policy that each item's price was non-negotiable. In 1853, Charles Lewis Tiffany assumed control of the entire company, which has since expanded to selling high-end household items.
The Tiffany flagship store on New York's Fifth Avenue at 57th Street is a popular tourist attraction, largely as a result of the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, which starred Audrey Hepburn. Tiffany's opened its first store outside of New York in San Francisco's Union Square in 1963 and internationally in Tokyo in 1972. The corporation has since undergone large expansion, opening flagship stores in London's Bond Street and Tokyo's Ginza district, and now has stores in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
The corporation has an agreement with the Tahera Diamond Corporation to buy or market the entire production of the Jericho Diamond Mine. They also provided a C$35 million loan to assist in construction of the Jericho mine.[1]
[edit] Diamonds
Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany & Co., was dubbed "the King of Diamonds" by New York City newspapers. In the spring of 1887, Tiffany bought the French Crown Jewels.[citation needed]
Tiffany designs were worn by such famous families as the Astors, the Vanderbilts, and the Morgans. Athletes, Hollywood stars, and even European royalty adored these diamonds. Museums valued the Tiffany designs, which ranged from the Art Nouveau period to Art Deco to today's modern styles.[citation needed]
Today, the 128.54-carat Fancy Yellow Tiffany Diamond is on display in the New York City flagship store.
[edit] Trivia
- Tiffany boxes, bags and other items sport the Tiffany Blue color, which is a registered trademark.
- The first Tiffany catalog, known as the "Blue Book", was first published in 1845 and is still being published.
- In 1853 Charles Tiffany took control of the company and renamed it Tiffany & Co.
- In 1862 Tiffany & Co. supplied the Union Army with swords, flags and surgical implements.
- In 1867 Tiffany & Co. was the first to win an award for the excellence in silverware at the Paris Exposition Universelle.
- The company revised the Great Seal of the United States in 1885.
- A Tiffany’s gemologist was instrumental in the international adoption of the metric carat as a weight standard for gems, and the Tiffany standard for sterling and platinum have been adopted as United States Standards.
- In 1968, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson commissioned Tiffany to design a White House china service, which featured 90 American flowers.
- Tiffany & Co.'s business division also produces trophies. In addition to a number of standard designs, they have also produced custom trophies including:
- The World Series Trophy (Major League Baseball)
- The Nextel Cup Trophy (NASCAR)
- The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy (National Basketball Association)
- The Vince Lombardi Trophy (National Football League)
- The Central League Trophy (of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball)
- The FedEx Cup Trophy (PGA Tour)
 Within International Plaza and Bay Street in Tampa |
 On Bloor Street in Toronto |
 West Coast flagship at Union Square in San Francisco |
[edit] Tiffany's in popular culture
- The jewelry store is prominent in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's, starring Audrey Hepburn.
- In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe, Tiffany's is mentioned in the song Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.
- In Full Metal Jacket, Gunnery Sgt. Hartman tells Pvt. Pyle to "square your ass away and start shitting me Tiffany cufflinks or I will definitely fuck you up."
- The New York jewlery store was shut down when Sweet Home Alabama starring Reese Witherspoon was shot inside. The store was not shut down, however, during any of the filming of Breakfast at Tiffany's.
