)
Some pieces are not designed to create a sense of distance, but rather to help people understand the material itself. Tiffany & Co. launched the "Bird on a Pearl" high jewelry collection, continuing the brand's familiar bird imagery. The design focuses on the natural state of natural seawater pearls, making the jewelry look more like a natural, seamless whole.
Design direction centered on natural seawater pearls
The Bird on a Pearl collection originates from Jean Schlumberger's Bird on a Rock from the 1960s, but this year's version deliberately downplays the presence of diamonds, shifting the focus to natural saltwater pearls. The pearls are selected from Hussein Al Fardan's private collection, each unique in shape and proportion. Therefore, the design wasn't based on a fixed form initially, but rather on adjusting the structure according to the pearl's appearance. Some pieces feature birds perched on baroque pearls, while others place the birds near the pearl's edge, the poses simple and direct, without pursuing dramatic effect.
The collection also incorporates star sapphires as head elements for the birds, primarily serving to provide contrast in color and texture rather than becoming the visual focal point. Overall, this collection retains Schlumberger's original concept of natural themes while making more restrained adjustments to the shapes and proportions.
Production process and techniques
Under the leadership of creative director Nathalie Verdeille, the Bird on a Pearl collection faced numerous practical challenges in its creation. Unlike cutting gemstones, natural saltwater pearls cannot be precisely controlled in terms of size and center of gravity. Craftsmen had to repeatedly test the metal structure based on the characteristics of each pearl to ensure stability when worn without affecting its appearance.
The collection includes brooches set with pearls exceeding 18 carats, pendants featuring pearls over 29 carats as the main stone, and a piece that reinterprets the brand's medieval archives, using over 36 carats of orange-brown-white pearls paired with 18K gold and rubellite. All pieces are handcrafted and presented in Gstaad, Switzerland. The entire collection, through its choice of materials, proportions, and structure, demonstrates a balance between practicality and design in high jewelry.
