Tiffany’s Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop: Where Time-Honored Techniques in Jewelry Making Are Made Modern

Jewelry connoisseurs around the world revere Tiffany & Co. for its signature elegance, craftsmanship and style. But it’s not only precious metals, superlative gemstones and age-old craftsmanship behind Tiffany’s singular reputation as a fine jeweler. The Tiffany & Co. development center that few know about is the company’s visionary Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop in New York City, (JDIW for short).

The bustling creativity center, tucked away a mere few steps from Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue headquarters, brings time-honored jewelry-making techniques into the present. New and traditional tools are used at JDIW to transform Tiffany’s visions into tangible prototypes. While reducing product development times and increasing the number of unique expressions of each design, Tiffany can also better keep pace with emerging trends, boost speed to market and uphold its renowned tradition of innovation.

Inside the 17,000-square-foot open floor plan space, Dana Naberezny, the workshop’s Vice President, oversees day-to-day operations. She heads up an all-star team of expertly trained jewelers, CAD designers, engineers and quality-assurance experts that’s handpicked from different industries. Designers sit side by side with jewelers at the 18 benches lining the workshop’s prototype development room, a space dedicated to honoring and expanding upon Tiffany’s enduring legacy of innovation. “We have so much ingenuity in innovation and technical know-how at Tiffany,” says Dana. “But it was scattered across the company. So, the concept behind the workshop was to bring them together in a single place.”

Tiffany devised the workshop as a center for creative collaboration, a space where no idea is too risky and no design too avant-garde. Teams quickly coalesce into project pods for streamlined collaboration. Together, they experiment with gemstones and precious metals to bring a range of possibilities for new collections to life.

“Since its inception in 1837, Tiffany has remained at the forefront of innovative jewelry design and expert craftsmanship,” Dana says. “With advanced technologies at their fingertips in the workshop, our designers can go from concept to prototype more seamlessly and efficiently than ever before. We’re excited to see what we dream up next.”

The JDIW’s tools of the trade span a mix of traditional heavy production machinery, bleeding-edge high-tech gadgetry and software and, most importantly, each team member’s discerning eyes, hands and instincts.

Metal melting torches and laser welders fire on and off, and laser engravers, sandblasters and polishers hum away as jewelry cutting and hammering tools—hand cranks, rolling presses and saw blades—clink, clatter and bang.

“Some might call it noisy. I call it magical electricity,” says Dana.  

The Timeless Elegance of Tiffany’s Iconic 1939 World’s Fair Necklace Comes Full Circle

Emblematic of the dawn of a new day, the unprecedented global exhibition brought hopeful glimpses of “The World of Tomorrow” to life in dazzling displays. Fantastic and futuristic visions of art and innovation delighted international visitors and locals alike. 

There, as guests watched in anticipation, exhibitors at the unique affair showcased fascinating feats of technology never before seen. From television broadcasts to a voice-controlled robot to a revolving theater cooled by air-conditioning, fair attendees witnessed the wonders of the world to come. What else sparked interest? Well-crafted, eye-catching jewels, of course. 

Curious onlookers were captivated by Tiffany & Co.’s extravagant display, including a luxurious 429-diamond necklace featuring a singular 200-carat aquamarine gem. Millions gathered to behold the spectacle ahead of the opening of Tiffany’s flagship store on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The brilliant presentation symbolized new beginnings, aspirations and a sense of hope for brighter days ahead. 

Elevated Elegance, Refinement Revisited 

Today, that indelible historic moment has come full circle: Tiffany is reimagining the iconic World’s Fair necklace in all its original splendor, but with an elevated twist. For the centerpiece, the high jewelry House acquired an over-80-carat, internally flawless oval diamond to recreate the stunning piece. 

What’s more, the extraordinary gemstone will be unveiled at the anticipated reopening of the transformed Tiffany Fifth Avenue flagship store, making history once again. Talk about making a grand entrance – or in this case, re-entrance.

“What better way to mark the opening of our transformed Tiffany flagship in 2022 than to reimagine this incredible necklace from the 1939 World’s Fair, one of our most celebrated pieces when we opened our doors on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue for the first time,” said Victoria Wirth Reynolds, Tiffany & Co. Chief Gemologist. “The World’s Fair Necklace perfectly reflects our brand heritage as a New York luxury jeweler whose founder was known as the ‘King of Diamonds.’”

A One-of-a-Kind Gem

This remarkable gem represents Tiffany’s largest diamond acquisition since obtaining the exquisite 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond back in 1878. Unlike the legendary Tiffany Diamond, which is famously not for sale, this exquisite stone will be set in a necklace that is expected to be Tiffany’s most expensive piece yet. 

With an estimated price tag in the tens of millions, the necklace and its over-80-carat diamond are far from ordinary. Sourced from Botswana, Africa, the exceptional center stone symbolizes the brand’s industry-first approach to traceability, making it not only a rare jewel, but also a responsible one. Our New York City artisans will meticulously set the diamond in its new yet historic home. 

Stringing Together the Past and Present

Just as visitors to the 1939 World’s Fair marveled at the magnificence of the original necklace, a new generation will be awestruck by this thoughtfully revamped piece. And, when Tiffany’s doors reopen next year, a new chapter will begin in its storied history as a high jewelry destination.