Women have myriad desires. Among them, more often than not, is a beautiful engagement ring anchored with an elegant, precious gem. In 1886, Charles Lewis Tiffany, American jeweler and founder of Tiffany & Co., set out to devise a special setting that could better enhance the shimmer of a brilliant-cut diamond on a ring.

Engagement rings of Tiffany & Co. are undoubtedly the world’s most popular.

Named the Tiffany Setting, the invention came with six platinum prongs of the same weight, height and angle that lifted the stone off the metal band, allowing more light to reflect from its facets. Word about Tiffany’s clever creation quickly traveled, and his engagement ring became the symbol of true love among couples.

A sketch of the Tiffany Setting.

According to the New York jeweler, what sets the popular six-prong Tiffany Setting apart is the amount of handwork that goes into its assembly. “We cut and polish our own stones, and the setting is handcrafted,” reveals Hovan Spenjian, a gemmologist and diamond grader who has been in the business for 15 years. “Fine jewelery like this cannot be made by machines.”

Tiffany & Co.’s jewellery workshop in Union Square, New York in 1874.

“At Tiffany we work with any stone, of any size and shape. Depending on a diamond’s characteristics, we decide who is going to cut or polish the stone,” say brothers and Tiffany & Co. craftsmen Manek and Bhagwati Patel.

Manek and Bhagwati Patel

“We accept only the highest quality diamonds, selected by expert gemmologists who apply grading standards that far exceed those established by the industry – 99.96 per cent of the world’s gem-grade diamonds fall short of our standards,” says Stacie Schwartz, technology, training and quality assurance manager at Tiffany & Co.

Stacie Schwartz

Story Credits

Text by Kenny Loh

This story was first published in L’Officiel Singapore.