Tiffany Blue™
Tiffany Blue™
Color of the Week! History, Architecture, Interior Design and Color Palette
When it comes to luxury brands, Tiffany & Co. has perfected the art of making a color inseparable from its identity. The iconic Tiffany Blue—recognized globally as a symbol of elegance, exclusivity, and timeless quality—transcends packaging and branding.
From storefronts to interior design, colors like Tiffany Blue showcase how a well-chosen color can elevate a brand’s presence and shape customer experiences in powerful ways!
A Brief History
Tiffany Blue traces its roots all the way back to 1837, the year Charles Lewis Tiffany founded Tiffany & Co. in New York City.
When designing the first Blue Book, an annual catalog featuring Tiffany’s high-end jewelry collection, Charles Tiffany chose a unique, eye-catching robin’s-egg blue for the cover.
This choice was inspired by the popularity of turquoise gemstones in Victorian jewelry, a trend linked to elegance and luxury at the time.
As the company grew, this distinct blue became more than just a catalog cover; it evolved into a signature brand element. In 1906, the New York Sun famously dubbed Charles Tiffany the "King of Diamonds," further linking the color with sophistication and exclusivity.
Over the years, Tiffany & Co. incorporated Tiffany Blue into their jewelry boxes and other branded materials, cementing the color as part of the brand's identity.
In 1998, the color was officially standardized and trademarked by Pantone as Tiffany Blue™ (Pantone 1837, named after the company’s founding year).
Today, this blue is more than a color; it’s a symbol of elegance, heritage, and luxury, inseparably tied to the brand’s identity and global recognition.
Tiffany’s Architecture
As I’m launching a new Color in Architecture segment, I thought this would be the perfect chance to start weaving architecture into my usual Color of the Week newsletters. Let’s get into it!
The architectural style of Tiffany & Co. stores embodies a timeless, minimalist elegance, focusing on clean lines, open spaces, and a sense of understated luxury.
Typically featuring polished stone, glass facades, and sleek metal accents, Tiffany’s exteriors are crafted to be both inviting and sophisticated.
Iconic flagship locations, like the one on Fifth Avenue in New York, use imposing yet refined design elements, such as towering entryways and understated signage, to create a sense of exclusivity without feeling unapproachable.
Typically, Tiffany Blue is used sparingly in details like window displays or subtle signage, adding to the brand’s signature aesthetic without overshadowing the architecture.
However, locations like the Shanghai storefront, which you can see below, embrace a bold use of Tiffany Blue sans usual color restraints.
Such architectural design choices reflect Tiffany’s legacy and longevity, while still appealing to modern sensibilities with sleek, streamlined forms.
Tiffany’s Interior Design
Inside, Tiffany & Co. uses color to define spaces and establish a calming, luxurious atmosphere. Walls, flooring, and display cases are generally neutral—soft whites, grays, and beige—providing a quiet backdrop for Tiffany Blue accents to stand out.
This selective use of color appears in subtle details like carpeting, velvet seating, and even the trim of some display areas, allowing Tiffany Blue to act as a thread tying together different sections of the store.
By avoiding an overwhelming display of Tiffany Blue, the brand maintains a sense of exclusivity, allowing the color to shine only in key areas where customers are most likely to interact with it.
In the image below, for example, the pop of Tiffany Blue comes from the statue.
Color Palette
As you can see below, I’ve created a color palette with Champagne Beige, Silver, Blush Pink, and Warm Taupe.
The Champagne Beige and Silver provide a refined, neutral base that exudes timeless elegance, while Blush Pink adds a touch of soft, welcoming warmth. Warm Taupe anchors the palette with an earthy tone, balancing the lighter hues for a cohesive look!
Long story short, Tiffany Blue is more than just a color; it’s a defining element of a brand that has made elegance and luxury instantly recognizable for generations.
Hopefully you enjoyed learning about this blue! As always, if you have a color in mind that you’d like for me to cover in next week’s COTW, feel free to comment below!