The depths of the sea contain a multitude of mysteries. It was a source of fascination for Jean Schlumberger, the late great Tiffany & Co. designer, whose aesthetic and outlook on design continues to influence the American jewellery brand. This year, the brand is dedicating its Blue Book collection of high jewellery to the theme of a Sea of Wonder.
The collection’s spring chapter was introduced in New York in April, with a summer chapter to follow. In its first outing, Tiffany & Co. explored ideas such as oceanic flora and plants, imagery of seahorses, sea turtles, sea urchins and starfish inspired by archival Schlumberger designs, and waves.
Nathalie Verdeille, the chief artistic officer of jewellery and high jewellery, said in press notes that these creations weave a story of oceanic wonder, while also exemplifying Tiffany & Co.’s love of pushing the boundaries on creativity and savoir faire. “Drawing inspiration from Jean Schlumberger’s fascination with the sea, our house’s pioneering spirit endures, driving us to reinvent archival inspirations from a modern perspective.”
Tiffany & Co.’s deep sea story opens with the Ocean Flora jewels, in which marine plants bloom and sway in an undersea garden. A necklace, earring and ring parure is set with verdant Zambian emeralds, while a set of diamond-forward jewels have gemstones mounted on delicate tendrils that suggest movement. A noteworthy standout: a ring set with a Type IIa DIF cushion-cut diamond weighing over 16.5 carats, so substantial that even its setting prongs are pavéd.
From flora to fauna, the collection moves into sea creatures touched by the influences of Schlumberger’s style. Verdeille, who joined Tiffany & Co. in 2021, has proven a deft interpreter of the late French designer’s archives. Her creations draw from the past, then depart in a modern way to create a whimsical style that is distinctly Tiffany.
The Seahorse chapter, for instance, closely references Schlumberger’s brooches from 1968. Verdeille, however, has introduced unusual gemstones and colours to create an enthralling palette. Blue zircons—an undersung coloured gemstone and not at all the same as cubic zirconia—are the star in this chapter. They bring a gentle undertone of colour with a bright sparkle, contrasted with the intensity of sapphire cabochons and accented with opalescent carved fluted moonstones.
In the Starfish designs, these aquatic creatures are realised with naturalistic curves. Their tough and spiny exteriors are evoked with brilliant- and rose-cut diamonds, the former to bring sparkling light and the latter for a softer, geometric diffusion. The centres of these starfish are set with unenhanced rubies that, according to chief gemologist Victoria Reynolds, “possess this gemstone’s most sought-after qualities: a strongly saturated red colour with a splash of fluorescences that is further enhanced by their high clarity”.
Sea urchins, meanwhile, visit Schlumberger’s favoured palette of white and yellow. Here, it’s realised as a suite of incredible yellow diamond jewels that incorporate the designer’s signature rope motifs in gold to create texture. This chapter also sees the high jewellery revival of Schlumberger’s famed paillonné enamel bracelets, which were a favourite of patrons like Jackie Kennedy and Bunny Mellon.
Tiffany & Co.’s spring chapter of Sea of Wonder closes on the theme of Waves. Imagine the ever-changing forms of moving water, and the ways that light can play with colours and reflections. That will explain, then, the incredible range of cuprian elbaite tourmalines—and a Paraíba tourmaline on a cocktail ring—set into this suite of jewels that gives it an entrancing lagoon colour. The movements of water, meanwhile, are achieved with graphic rows of diamonds that curve their own way, rather like a wave that has broken and made a splash.
Vogue Singapore’s June 2025 ‘Gold’ issue is available on newsstands and online.
