You can never go wrong with pearls—just ask Tiffany & Co.
The famed jeweller just unveiled new designs from its Tiffany Titan collection by musician Pharrell Williams, and the latest additions pair high-lustre freshwater pearls with 18-carat gold and sparkling diamonds. The singer, who’s also the men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton, originally launched the line last May; now he’s expanded its offerings with pieces that hark back to the sea, basing the pieces on mermaids’ and nymphs’ tears of pearls.
“The inspiration of the collection comes from my affinity with the water; and the name of the collection, ‘Titan,’ draws influence from Poseidon, ruler of the sea, King of Atlantis. ‘Atlantis’ is also the name of the community where I grew up in Virginia Beach,” Williams explained in a press statement. “In Japan, it was believed that pearls were created from the tears of mythical water creatures; so I naturally gravitated towards them as a means of expressing this connection to water.”
Image courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
The initial Tiffany Titan designs featured a spike motif, also reminiscent of Poseidon. However, those pieces were offered in 18-carat yellow gold or black titanium, as well as all-metal and diamond iterations. “The detail in all of the jewellery pieces is very intentional, the use of black titanium… it’s a physical manifestation of beauty in blackness,” Williams said at the time.
The newest designs, which include necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings, now juxtapose those same sharp, spear-like silhouettes with pearls in sizes of over 11 mm. Key pieces include a statement necklace and a bracelet studded with freshwater pearls, spike rondelles crafted from 18-carat gold, and one and two full carats of diamonds, respectively.
Image courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany’s has had a lengthy history with pearls, dating back to when the company was founded in 1827. In fact, pearl necklaces were long considered the most expensive pieces that the house offered. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln gifted his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, a striking three-piece seed-pearl suite for the presidential inaugural ball. More recently, Tiffany’s rare saltwater pearls were featured in its capsule high-jewellery collection, Bird on a Pearl, which was a reimagining of Jean Schlumberger’s iconic Bird on a Rock brooch.
The Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams freshwater pearl designs are now available on the Tiffany & Co. website and in stores around the world.
