Tiffany

Charles Lewis Tiffany came across many brilliant baubles in his time, but it was the acquisition of one specific jewel that solidified his moniker as the “King of Diamonds”. In 1878, Tiffany paid $18,000 for one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered — a whopping 287.42-carat stone that was acquired in South Africa the previous year. The lemon-coloured jewel was taken to Paris, where the brand’s chief gemologist George Frederick Kunz cut it with 82-facets — 24 more facets than was normal — which gave the diamond so much radiance it looked as if it was lit by an inner flame, according to Tiffany. So sparkly was it, in fact, that when it was exhibited in the windows of Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store in 1955, passers-by could see it scintillating from the opposite side of the street.

The diamond’s notoriety has been matched by the women who have worn it. It graced the neck of Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where it was framed by a necklace of diamond ribbons that gave it an armour-like effect. But in 2012, for the brand’s 175th anniversary, the yellow stone was reset in a white diamond necklace. Most recently it was worn by Lady Gaga for the Academy Awards in February, paired with a strapless black figure-hugging gown, over-the-elbow gloves and a chignon updo that recalled Hepburn’s look.