Victoria Wirth Reynolds, Tiffany & Co.’s first female chief gemologist and vice-president of global merchandising, shares her love affair with the American luxury jeweller.
Her style
Modern. Casual. Eclectic. Elegant. New York.
Her everyday accessories
My current favourite is the new Tiffany 1837 Makers 27mm watch in stainless steel with a Tiffany blue face. I absolutely love it as you can dress it up or wear it casually on weekends. I have several vintage Tiffany pieces from my grandmother that I wear alongside Jean Schlumberger or Elsa Peretti pieces. After 33 years with Tiffany, I style my clothing around my Tiffany jewellery!
Her favourite jewellery
I’ve always had a particular love for jewellery with tsavorites. Tsavorite is as durable as it is beautiful, which is quite a unique combination. I actually chose tsavorites as the side stones on my engagement ring in 1991.
On her decision to become a gemologist
I was probably nine years old when I went to Tiffany with my father to help him purchase a brooch for my mum. I still remember walking in the door and being mesmerised by the main floor, especially the array of diamonds and coloured gemstones. That feeling has really stayed with me.
What to consider when buying precious stones
While all our gemstones have amazing colour, they also need to have something magical, an inner beauty that draws us in, which is when we know that they are truly of Tiffany calibre.
On watches and jewellery as investments
Absolutely! That’s what, I think, separates Tiffany from fashion brands or other luxury houses. We offer the most extraordinary diamonds, the rarest coloured gemstones, and our watches are handcrafted in Switzerland. So yes, Tiffany jewellery and watches hold their value over time.
What she’s excited about for 2021
Tiffany 1837 Makers 27mm watch
Brooches from the 2019 Tiffany Blue Book Collection
Tiffany & Co. earrings in platinum with tsavorites and diamonds. “I love the story behind tsavorites: Scottish geologist Campbell R. Bridges found the rare stone at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Tiffany took immediate interest, and after identifying the gem as a very rare type of garnet, then president of Tiffany, Henry B. Platt, named it tsavorite, introducing it to the world in 1974.”
“Sourcing gemstones is a quest to find the rarest, most beautiful unusual gemstones - miracles of nature that inspire us and our designs.”
TEXT & COORDINATION DEBBY KWONG
