Perhaps no company has had a greater influence on jewelry than Tiffany & Co. For more than one-hundred and seventy-five years, this company has been tireless in promotion of quality and measurement standards for precious metals, gemstones, and more. Some of their efforts resulted in government standards of measure and some changed the way the world thinks of jewelry and the materials that go into its manufacture. It’s hard to imagine jewelry without the standards Tiffany & Co. championed, and at Bert Levi Family Jewelers, we’re not sure we’d like the world of jewelry without them!
Tiffany & Co. Gems
Tiffany’s commitment to diamond quality is just one of the ways they’ve helped to standardize the industry. Did you know that it was a Tiffany & Co. gemologist who campaigned for the metric carat as the standard for the U.S.? Before the standard weight, a carat might mean something different to a jeweler in New York than it would mean to a Jeweler in Europe. Tiffany’s commitment to quality and objective ways to measure it actually formed the foundation for the simplified system created by the Gemological Institute of America, the “Four C’s” system.
Tiffany & Co. and Precious Metals
The quality of precious metals used in jewelry has always been important to Tiffany & Co. as well. In fact, they campaigned heavily to ensure the United States adopt objective standards for silver. Charles Tiffany fought hard for standards at every turn. Central to his philosophy of design was the idea that natural beauty should be exemplified, and creating standards that ensured the materials were of the highest quality helped to realize his dream.
Tiffany & Co. Standards of Service
Had Tiffany & Co. simply altered the way we think about materials used in jewelry, it would have been a wonderful accomplishment. However, this company took things a step beyond that. Central to Tiffany’s philosophy is the idea that customers should have the ability to make informed choices, and the policies about educating those who came to their stores about the materials they were buying translated into the legendary service that made Tiffany’s a household name. They were even the first major retailer to actually put price tags on items! A customer at Tiffany’s always knew exactly what was being sold and exactly why it was valued as it was.
This remarkable company has been around for more than one-hundred and seventy-five years but it’s a good bet their legacy will last far longer.