About Tiffany & Co.

One of the world’s most acclaimed jewelry designers and a fashion icon, Paloma Picasso is celebrated for a boldly original style defined by brilliant colored gemstones, which she combines to create powerful, thoroughly modern statements unique in the world of jewelry design.

Born in Paris in 1949 to Pablo Picasso and Francoise Gilot, she spent her childhood in Paris and the South of France surrounded by artists and the vibrant, intellectual life of the period. After attending the Université de Paris at Nanterre, she became a theatrical costumier and stylist for avant-garde productions in Paris.

Her talent for jewelry design soon emerged on the theatrical stage. In a moment of inspired improvisation, she created rhinestone necklaces from gem-set bikinis designed for the Folies Bergères, which captured the attention of theater critics. Encouraged by this early success, the designer pursued formal schooling in jewelry design. A year later, Ms. Picasso presented her first efforts to her friend, famed couturier Yves Saint Laurent, who immediately commissioned her to design jewelry to complement his collections. Later she designed gold jewelry for the House of Zolotas, where she perfected her skills.

At her father’s death in 1973, she took a hiatus from designing jewelry to catalogue the artist’s estate and helped to establish the Musée Picasso in Paris. In 1979 Tiffany Design Director John Loring invited Ms. Picasso to present a table setting for one of Tiffany's exhibitions. A year later, Tiffany introduced Paloma Picasso's first exclusive collection of jewelry, which was instantly embraced for its innovative "graffiti" shapes, bold scale and brilliant color contrasts.

Through the use of exotic gemstones and highly polished or uniquely textured surfaces, Ms. Picasso's 18k gold and sterling silver designs teem with vitality and imagination. Her choice of whimsical shapes, links and weaves, together with her unique color combinations, have earned Ms. Picasso an international reputation as one of the world's premier jewelry designers. Throughout her long collaboration with Tiffany, she has created many one-of-a-kind accessories and important necklaces, mounting some of the largest and finest specimens of colored gemstones.

In recognition of Ms. Picasso's achievements in jewelry design, two American museums have acquired her work for their permanent collections. Housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History is her spectacular 396.30-carat kunzite necklace. And visitors to The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago can view her 408.63-carat moonstone bracelet accented with diamond "lightning bolts."

In 1988, Ms. Picasso was honored by The Fashion Group as one of the "Women Who Have Made an Extraordinary Impact on Our Industry." The Hispanic Designers Inc. presented her with its MODA award for design excellence, and she has been inducted into The Hall of Fame International Best Dressed List.

In 2005 Ms. Picasso marked her 25th anniversary as an exclusive Tiffany designer. In celebration, the designer created a magnificent necklace featuring a 28.94-carat tanzanite combined with colorful gemstones on a strand of luminous South Sea pearls.

Ms. Picasso continues to expand her existing jewelry designs and introduce new creations, as well. With their incomparable beauty and timeless sophistication, her signature collections grace Tiffany & Co. stores around the world.

See Paloma Picasso Designs