This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Tiff any Setting – the six-pronged ring design that’s become synonymous with engagement sparklers as you know them. TRACY LEE tells us why so many remain enamoured of this Tiff any & Co. creation.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Tiff any Setting – the six-pronged ring design that’s become synonymous with engagement sparklers as you know them. TRACY LEE tells us why so many remain enamoured of this Tiff any & Co. creation.
It was a game changer in its time
In 1886, Charles Lewis Tiff any, founder of American jewellery firm Tiff any & Co., worked with his team to come up with a bold new ring setting: one featuring six prongs that would elevate the diamond above the band while holding the precious gem firmly in place. This ground-breaking feat of jewellery engineering and design exposed the solitaire and made it appear to float, thereby allowing the maximum amount of light to pass through it for a breathtaking effect.
Prior to that, engagement rings usually featured a diamond embedded within the band, so only its crown could be seen. The term “Tiff any Setting” has since been used to refer to any multi-pronged solitaire setting, and has become the world’s favourite engagement ring style, thanks to its minimalist appeal – no mean feat for a design created when horse-drawn carriages were a common sight in the streets of New York City.
Its credentials are impeccable
Tiff any & Co. prides itself on maintaining exacting standards. Stones are graded by in-house gemmologists, and if a diamond’s clarity borders two grades, it’s given the lower grade. Only diamonds of at least “I” level (near-colourless) make it into the brand’s jewellery pieces. That means only the top 0.04 per cent of gem-grade stones available get to become Tiff any diamonds. While most rocks are graded according to the four Cs (cut, clarity, colour and carat weight), Tiff any & Co. throws in a fifth consideration: presence, which grades brilliance, scintillation and dispersion. Put simply, the company claims that if two diamonds shared the same four-C grading, the Tiff any one would be more beautiful and sparkly.
It’s a pop-culture icon for romance
Featured in movies such as Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and Bride Wars (2009), the OMG-ness of being proposed to by your beau within the luxe confines of a Tiff any & Co. store – then untying the white bow and lifting the lid of the blue box to discover engagement bling – has become the stuff of many a single woman’s fantasies. It helps that the staff are more-than-willing accomplices, discreetly and expertly accommodating advance customer requests to provide extras such as champagne, cake or even rose petal-strewn floors to create perfect “will you marry me” moments.
True Singapore story: A man noticed that his girlfriend would stop to admire the Tiff any & Co. window displays each time she passed the store. So he purchased a ring in advance, then arranged a time for the store to place a discreetly printed proposal card with his and her names on it, in the display. Imagine her delight when her window-shopping routine turned into one of the most memorable moments in her life! And it doesn’t hurt that so many style icons over the years – from Jackie Kennedy to actresses like Audrey Hepburn, Blake Lively and Cate Blanchett – have been fans of the brand.
People love it not just for engagements
According to Chrystean Tan, Tiff any & Co.’s marketing director, South-east Asia, it’s not only fiances who purchase the brand’s engagement rings. “Husbands get them for their wives as an upgrade from their original, smaller engagement rings, to show appreciation for these women who stuck by them in leaner times. They’re also popular as anniversary presents. And women buy one for themselves when they get their year-end bonus or a promotion,” Chrystean says. So, to all single women: No need to wait for someone to “put a ring on it”! Download the Tiff any & Co. Engagement Ring Finder app, snap a photo of your hand, and “try on” as many as you want before visiting the shop to make your purchase!
There’s one for everyone
More than 100 types of wedding bands can be paired with a Tiff any Setting. The rings are priced from $1,500 to more than $1,000,000, and are available on a zerointerest payment plan.
SMART CRYSTALS
The Swarovski Activity Tracking Jewellery Collection has the most glam fitness trackers we’ve seen. Set against Swarovski’s iconic crystal-studded Slake bracelet or a silicone band, the main crystal features a tracking technology that measures your steps, calories burnt and quality of sleep – it works with the Misfit app, which you can download onto your smartphone. It tells you the time too. At $280 for a set (activity crystal, a Slake bracelet and a silicone bracelet).
INTO THE WOODS
If you’re a fan of fairy tales like we are, you’ll love the latest Fable accessories from Braun Buffel. Leather totes, shoulder bags and clutches come with graphic floral prints inspired by the enchanted forests of fables. From $119 for small leather goods, and $269 for bags.
Fit for a queen
Hot on the heels of Spring/ Summer 2016’s fashion tiara trend, Miu Miu has launched a jewellery capsule collection called The Queen’s Jewels. You’ll find tiaras, earrings, bracelets and rings, all embellished with crystals and faux pearls. From $360 for a ring.
Take a bow
The valuables of the Russian imperial family were the inspiration for Damiani’s latest jewellery collection. Our fave pieces? The ones featuring pink or white gold bows set with diamonds. Why not match them with the earrings, necklaces and rings?
STREET STYLIN’
Still in search of sports togs that look good enough to wear in and out of the gym? You can thank us later – bright windbreakers, logo tees, drop-crotch sweatpants and printed hoodies are all at Calvin Klein Performance’s new store at Wheelock Place. From $79.
Call me maybe
You’ve phoned in at the right time to catch Jeremy Scott’s latest take on Longchamp’s iconic Le Pliage zippered tote. The irresistibly kitschy Long Distance Call bag is inspired by outer space, with an ’80s-style graphic print of stars, planets and pink phones.
SO CHIC!
You love iconic French labels like Chanel, LV and Dior, but if you want to get familiar with smaller Parisian brands, So Chic (a 172-page guide on French retail and dining outlets) features multi-label haunts like Manifesto, Rue Madame and Kapok, and brands like Sandro, Maje, and Vanessa Bruno. The guide also highlights five tips on how to ace Parisian chic. Pick up your copy of So Chic from the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (#09-01 Liat Towers) and Alliance Francaise de Singapour (1 Sarkies Road) .
By the book
The name of Prada’s latest bag? Cahier – that’s French for notebook. It’s not hard to see why: the bronze-tone metal details remind us of the protective corners on old books, while the contrast leather trim brings to mind a book spine. The structured satchel also comes as a pochette embellished with moon- and star-shaped metal studs, just like a child’s storybook might be! From $2,900 for the Cahier pochette in leather, and $3,850 for the Cahier in leather.
Sweet treats
Bulgari serves up pretty coloured stones – tourmalines, amethysts, sapphires and tsavorites – in its new Bulgari-Bulgari Roman Sorbets collection. The rings, necklaces and bracelets, all inspired by fruity sorbets, are available in white or pink gold. From $3,000 for a pink gold ring with tourmalines and amethysts.
SPORTY COOL
Meet Seiko’s latest Spring Drive Chronograph. Its inner case is made of highintensity titanium, and its outer shells and bezel are in zirconia ceramic – which makes the case 25 per cent lighter than one in stainless steel, and virtually impervious to scratches.
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