Description
Art Deco Tiffany Exposition Sterling Tomato pattern pie server 12.25" long x 2 3/8" at widest point x 165.8 grams with no issues.
tw125
Charles Tiffany was born February 15, 1812 in Killingly, Connecticut. About 25
years later, in 1837, Charles Tiffany and John Young, and later in 1841, they
added J.L.. Ellis as a partner, began Tiffany, Young and Ellis in Lower
Manhattan. That company at the time was founded at first to sell fancy goods and
stationery. Tiffany bought his parents shares of the company in 1853 and changed
the focus of the company to sell upscale jewelry and merchandise. Once Tiffany
bought his parent’s shares, the company was renamed to Tiffany & Co. In 1867,
Tiffany & Co. was the first United States based company to win an award for
excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. In 1868, the
company became incorporated, had four stores and was on the right path to
continue to grow to the company that it is today.
A Humble Start
When Young and Tiffany began their business, they originally started off with
offering items such as stationery and merchandise before moving on to offering
jewelry and silverware. The business continued to grow and manufacture jewelry,
and later opened a location in Paris. His stores adopted the standards of
European jewelry and therefore, sterling became established in the United States
and the American jewelry market.
Tiffany was determined to obtain one-of-a-kind jewelry. It was that desire which
helped fuel how much his products were sought out, specifically among the upper
classes of New York. The jewelry created by the company became partially well
known because of the wealthy people who desired its products. In the 1830’s,
Tiffany made it’s mark in the jewelry world at the time because they clearly
marked the prices on their goods. This eliminated the chance that customers
would haggle and try to negotiate the prices of the goods that they were
purchasing at the time. Additionally, Tiffany’s was unique at the time because
they only accepted cash payments and didn’t allow their goods to be purchased on
credit.
With the Civil War threatening jewelry purchasing at the time, Tiffany adjusted
the focus of his company and ended up manufacturing swords, medals, light armor
and many other items that were needed for war. In 1877, Tiffany & Co. had become
such an established name that it easily influenced the industry and was able to
make outlandish purchases. This when the now called “Tiffany diamond” (a yellow
South African diamond) was purchased for $18,000 at 287 carats. The diamond was
cut down to 128.54 carats over nearly a year and was eventually put on display
in the Smithsonian. Today, Tiffany & Co. is an American worldwide luxury jeweler
and specialty retailer, headquartered in New York City.
Understanding the Markings
While Tiffany & Co. is famous for the “Tiffany diamond” they are even more
famous for their use of sterling silver. When looking at actually sterling
silver that is made by Tiffany’s there are several markings that can help you
figure out the origin and if a piece is indeed made by Tiffany’s or fake. At the
start, there were several silversmiths who supplied silver flatware and
holloware to Tiffany’s. Each of those silversmiths marked the pieces with their
own marks in addition to marking them with Tiffany’s marks. Some of the makes of
Tiffany’s sterling silver include William Gale, Gale & Hughes, Wood & Hughes,
John Polhemus, Henry Hebbard, William Bogert, Grosjean & Woodward, Moore &
Hebbard and John C. Moore.
In 1868, Moore silversmithing firm was absorbed into Tiffany & Co. and Tiffany’s
then began the production of its own silver. It was at that time that the silver
was to be marked with the initial of the Artistic Director or the initial of the
President of the firm but that was continued until the mid-1960’s. Each design
on the silver that Tiffany’s creates represents the long and proud heritage that
comes with the company’s history.
