1877 — Discovery in South Africa

The Tiffany Diamond began as an enormous 287.42-carat rough yellow diamond. It was discovered in 1877 in the Kimberley diamond fields of South Africa, during a period when the region was producing some of the largest and most important diamonds the world had ever seen.

Even in its rough state, the stone was remarkable for its exceptional size, intense yellow color and potential brilliance.

1878 — Charles Lewis Tiffany

In 1878, the massive rough diamond was acquired by Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. records state that Charles Tiffany paid approximately $18,000 for the stone—an enormous acquisition at the time.

The purchase strengthened Charles Tiffany's growing reputation as the “King of Diamonds” and helped establish Tiffany & Co. as an important international authority on rare gemstones.

Cutting the Tiffany Diamond

The rough diamond was carefully studied before cutting. The work was carried out under the direction of noted gemologist Dr. George Frederick Kunz, who became one of Tiffany & Co.'s most influential gemstone experts.

Rather than attempting to preserve the greatest possible weight, the cutters concentrated on maximizing the diamond's color, fire and brilliance.

The finished gemstone weighed 128.54 carats.

An Extraordinary 82-Facet Cut

The Tiffany Diamond was fashioned into a modified cushion-shaped brilliant with an extraordinary 82 facets.

A traditional brilliant cut commonly contains 58 facets, giving the Tiffany Diamond 24 additional facets designed to enhance its remarkable internal reflections and fiery yellow color.

More than half of the rough diamond's original weight was sacrificed in pursuit of superior beauty rather than maximum carat weight.

An International Attraction

The Tiffany Diamond soon became much more than a remarkable gemstone. It became a symbol of Tiffany & Co.'s growing international prestige.

The diamond was displayed at important exhibitions and jewelry presentations, attracting attention for its unusual combination of enormous size, rich yellow color and exceptional brilliance.

Over time, it became one of the most recognizable Fancy Yellow diamonds in the world.

1957 — The First Necklace

For decades the Tiffany Diamond was primarily displayed as a loose gemstone.

In 1957, it was mounted in a necklace for the first time. The yellow diamond was suspended from a diamond pendant and rivière containing numerous white diamonds.

American socialite Mary Whitehouse wore the spectacular necklace at the Tiffany Ball held at Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island.

1961 — Audrey Hepburn

The Tiffany Diamond achieved perhaps its greatest association with Hollywood when legendary Tiffany designer Jean Schlumberger incorporated it into his elaborate Ribbon Rosette necklace.

Audrey Hepburn wore the necklace in publicity photographs promoting the 1961 motion picture Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The photographs created one of the most memorable associations between a famous gemstone, a jewelry house and Hollywood cinema.

1995 — Bird on a Rock

In 1995, the Tiffany Diamond was incorporated into another celebrated Jean Schlumberger design for a retrospective exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

The diamond became the centerpiece of Schlumberger's whimsical Bird on a Rock design, in which a jeweled bird appears to perch upon the enormous yellow gemstone.

The setting became one of the most recognizable presentations of the Tiffany Diamond.

2012 — Tiffany's 175th Anniversary

To celebrate the 175th anniversary of Tiffany & Co., the Tiffany Diamond was reset in an elaborate necklace containing more than 100 carats of additional white diamonds.

The necklace traveled to anniversary celebrations around the world before returning to Tiffany's famous Fifth Avenue location in New York.

This setting later introduced the historic gemstone to a new generation of admirers.

2019 — Lady Gaga

The Tiffany Diamond made a rare red-carpet appearance at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.

Lady Gaga wore the 128.54-carat yellow diamond in the Tiffany anniversary necklace while attending the ceremony, where she received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Shallow.

It was one of the diamond's most prominent public appearances since Audrey Hepburn's 1961 photographs.

2021 — Beyoncé

In 2021, singer and performer Beyoncé wore the Tiffany Diamond in Tiffany & Co.'s ABOUT LOVE advertising campaign with JAY-Z.

It marked the first time in the gemstone's history that the Tiffany Diamond had been worn in an advertising campaign.

Beyoncé became the fourth woman publicly associated with wearing the legendary yellow diamond.

2023 — A Fifth Design

Tiffany & Co. unveiled a completely reimagined setting for the Tiffany Diamond in 2023 to celebrate the reopening of its renovated New York flagship, known as The Landmark.

The new design again draws inspiration from Jean Schlumberger's famous Bird on a Rock motif and can be worn as either a pendant or a brooch.

Tiffany artisans spent nearly 2,000 hours creating the elaborate setting.

The Legacy of the Tiffany Diamond

More than a century after its discovery, the Tiffany Diamond remains one of the largest and most celebrated Fancy Yellow diamonds in the world. Its history connects the great South African diamond discoveries of the nineteenth century with American jewelry history, innovative gem cutting, Jean Schlumberger's celebrated designs and some of the most recognizable figures in twentieth- and twenty-first-century popular culture.

The Tiffany Diamond remains the property of Tiffany & Co. and is closely associated with the company's Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City, where it has long held a place of honor.