The Real Story of Tiffany & Co.’s Blue Box

Tiffany & Co. has been the source of luxurious jewelry for more than 175 years. Its silver, platinum and gold creations have been as legendary as the designers and artisans that make the pieces. The famous blue box was introduced in 1837, which is the same year that Charles Lewis Tiffany decided to sell all of his goods at the stated price without further negotiation. The blue box soon became a trademark for Tiffany quality, style and luxurious content.

Initially, the blue color was chosen as a means to reinforce the Blue Book’s cover color. The Blue Book, as dedicated Tiffany & Co. fans know, detailed the company’s annual collection of jewels. The catalog was published for the first time in 1845 when consumers finally had the opportunity to behold the full breadth and depth of the artisans’ luxurious creations available from the jeweler.

Other stories suggest that Tiffany chose turquoise blue because this particular gem stone was exceedingly popular in the 19^th century. Victorian brides in particular were known to pass out turquoise mementos to their attendants and also some of the guests. With its popularity firmly set in the bridal business, it stood to reason that Tiffany would capitalize on the goodwill and excitement the color generated among those most likely to join his clientele.

Yet in 1892, the blue of the Tiffany & Co. box received another boost. A closer look at the box color highlighted that the blue actually favors a very distinctive turquoise hue that was only found in a select few mines. When Tiffany’s gemologist won an award for jewelry pieces that featured this type of New Mexico turquoise, he was quick to make the connection between the gem-quality turquoise and the famous box color.

 

Since Tiffany owned the mines where the gems were found, the turquoise taken from there was soon dubbed to be Tiffany-blue. Although the mine was eventually exhausted and no further gems could be found, the association between the gem color, gem quality and the color of Tiffany’s classic box had been cemented. When the recipient of a gift from Tiffany’s saw the telltale blue color, expectations would automatically rise.

The clever merchant ensured that the much sought-after box would not leave his stores empty. It was against the rules for a Tiffany & Co. employee to allow a customer to take extra boxes. The merchant ensured that the only way to obtain the box was by purchasing an item that would fit inside. There is little doubt that the lure of the exclusive box was just as strong as the superior craftsmanship exhibited by the Tiffany artisans.

Peter Suchy Jewelers are experts in estate and vintage jewelry (including Tiffany & Co. Jewelry) and we invite you to stop by our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

Or, head on over to our eBay store where you’ll find we are a top-rated PowerSeller with over 5,000 transactions to date and 100 percent positive feedback from our customers.

We invite you to like us on Facebook where you’ll get to preview our weekly eBay listings before they go live and please feel free to share and repin everything on our amazing Pinterest Boards!