Tiffany & Co.

An elegant example of Tiffany & Co.’s early Art Deco aesthetic, this aquamarine and diamond pendant-necklace reflects the firm’s position as the preeminent American jeweler, long synonymous with refinement and innovation in design. During the First World War, much of Tiffany’s manufacturing capacity was redirected toward the manufacture of surgical instruments and precision components for guns and aircraft, resulting in a marked reduction in jewelry production. The period also saw platinum diverted to wartime use, prompting the use of platinum’s cousin palladium—an indicator that the present necklace was made during the war or shortly thereafter.

Tiffany’s pioneering role in the promotion of colored gemstones beyond the traditional repertoire, shaped in part by the influential gemologist Dr. George Frederick Kunz, is evident in the present piece. Introduced into Tiffany’s jewelry in the 1880s, aquamarine became one of the house’s most enduringly favored gemstones, its soft hue becoming closely associated with the celebrated “Tiffany blue.” Lot 52 represents the superlative workmanship that characterize Tiffany’s jewels from the early Art Deco period.