Tiffany & Co. unveils the Legendary Bird: Sapphire Brooch. Each year, Tiffany presents a unique Legendary Bird creation, paying tribute to the enduring legacy of the Bird on a Rock design. Since its debut in 1965, this classic creation has remained an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the brand. This time, Tiffany reinterprets it through a specially crafted high jewelry piece, infusing this iconic design with a new artistic expression.
Nathalie Verdeille, Senior Vice President and Chief Artistic Officer of Jewelry and High Jewelry at Tiffany, said: "Through this piece, I wanted to present a natural world that is constantly coming to life, with subtle movements and exquisite details that can only be discovered by pausing to look closely. A cluster of flowers is blooming, unfurling layer by layer, blending the forms of crocus and orchid, while a nimble bird resembling a hummingbird — the smallest bird in the world — hovers lightly among the flowers, all deeply drawn to the radiant sapphire at the center."
This extraordinary creation was conceived by Nathalie Verdeille together with the Tiffany design studio. Through a refined design composition, black doublet opals, sapphires, pearls, mother-of-pearl, diamonds and rubies are ingeniously combined, creating a distinctive harmony that vividly expresses Tiffany's long heritage of innovative design and masterful craftsmanship. Tiffany high jewelry artisans handcrafted the piece in 18K gold and platinum, setting two striking gemstones as visual focal points: one weighing 34.48 carats and the other 6.04 carats, both unenhanced oval Sri Lankan sapphires.
The two center stones are ingeniously framed within the Bird on a Rock motif and floral design, accented with slender, custom-cut black doublet opals and mother-of-pearl in bezel settings. The floral theme draws inspiration from the brand's classic orchid motif, an element commonly seen on the dazzling Tiffany Favrile glass lamps of the early 20th century. The bird's wings are adorned with diamonds and mother-of-pearl, creating a vivid and dynamic visual contrast. Each layer of black doublet opal is precisely cut and bezel-set, shaping a sculptural, three-dimensional silhouette that showcases the extraordinary craftsmanship of Tiffany high jewelry.
As a representative of Tiffany's exceptional high jewelry craftsmanship, the Legendary Bird: Sapphire Brooch further interprets the classic Bird on a Rock design into a distinctive high jewelry vocabulary. Each year's creation continues the brand's enduring pursuit of boundless imagination and masterful craftsmanship, perfectly blending natural poetry with Tiffany's dazzling diamonds and colored gemstones, and leading collectors into a world of high jewelry where creativity knows no bounds through unique charm, refined style and a spirit of exploration.
The 2026 Legendary Bird masterpiece made its debut at an exclusive event held during Paris Haute Couture Week.
| Source: Official press release
| Image credit: Brand official
