You’re probably already aware that Tiffany & Co. is well known for its beautiful jewelry and its remarkable quality diamonds. You might not know that Tiffany & Co. changed the way the world looks at diamonds and engagement rings. You see, prior to Tiffany & Co.’s introduction of the pronged Tiffany setting, diamonds weren’t really the star of a ring. Instead, diamonds and other gems were primarily decorations to accent the showmanship of the silversmiths and goldsmiths that designed the rings. Most often, they were set with a bezel, a ring of metal around the diamond that allowed the top of the diamond to be visible but hid the rest from view.
From the outset, Tiffany designers rejected the overly ostentatious and fancy design standards popular in Europe, favoring instead elegant designs inspired by nature. This prompted the creation of the Tiffany setting, which creates a solitaire diamond ring in which there’s no question at all that the diamond in the star. With prongs (the claw) that hold the diamond in place, the diamond itself was now able to catch the light more effectively because more of the diamond was visible. This meant the world was introduced to just how scintillating and lovely the gemstone could be.
Prior to the Tiffany setting, engagement rings were very ornate, distracting from the diamond and making the gold, silver, or platinum the star. Tiffany & Co. changed that forever and though there are still ostentatious rings available on the market, the standard for engagement rings became elegant bands that didn’t distract from the beauty of the stone and they’ve stayed that way ever since. Even when an engagement ring has stones embedded in the band or has intricate designs crafted into the metal, the center stone is nonetheless the real star of the show.
If you’re looking for an engagement ring, consider visiting Bert Levi Family Jewelers. We have a selection of pre-owned Tiffany & Co. engagement rings and we also have thousands of our own designs in stock. We bet you can guess what inspired our own designs.