Travel through the world of English: Tiffany & Co.

This week's post is about a very well known diamonds' store: Tiffany & Co. (or just Tiffany's).

We are going to approach this theme because we just started to study a book called Breakfast at Tiffany's from the author Truman Capote.

At first we didn't know what was "Tiffany's", we even thought that it was a coffee shop! But then our teacher explained us that this was a jewelry brand and told us to explore it. Besides approaching mainly an historic view (textually), we'll show you through videos and images the influence that this company has on society and its symbolic meaning - luxury.

Tiffany's was founded in the "Big Apple, the city that never sleeps", which is New York in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and a school friend, Teddy Young. Initially the store only commercialized stationery items. In 1841 they extended the market to Bohemian Glass and porcelain, also starting to produce their own jewelry, this expansion resulted in the change of the name to Tiffany, Young and Ellis. In 1853, Charles Tiffany took over total control of the brand and gave it a new structure by changing its name to Tiffany & Co. and starting to sell another type of products like jewelry, it was in this decade (50s) and in the next one (60s) that this brand reached the international market, with stores in London and Paris, for example. Also in the 50s, they relocate the main store to Fifth Avenue, in New York as well.

Charles Lewis Tiffany (left) in his store, about 1887

Tiffany & Co., Union Square, storage area with porcelain (about 1887)

Tiffany and Co.'s flagship store at Fifth Avenue

At the time this, most of the people thought that this kind of business wouldn't last long due to the high poverty levels, but, against all odds, their industry survived and with a lot of success, and they even turn on the lights in a dark moment by making the most of the American Civil War (1861-1865) providing swords, flags, etc., to the Union Army, and gaining profit with it.

Meanwhile, the original owner - Charles Tiffany, died and his son Louis Comfort Tiffany became the first official Design Director, in 1902, continuing for a long time his father's legacy with high quality and high price products. However, in 1978, Tiffany & Co. was sold to Avon Products Inc. and started to drop the products and services standards.

Obviously, Avon's bet went wrong because people didn't want to have this kind of products trivialized so they were "forced" to sell the brand. The investor was a group led by William Chaney, that restored wealth times to the company.

In the 90's, America faced an economic crisis that brought to the company the need to widen their public spectrum, so Tiffany started an advertising campaign focused on the mass sell to attract more people, without losing quality and maintaining the elevated status of the brand.