Tiffany & Co.’s Latest High Jewellery Collection is Making Waves

Jacques Cousteau once said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds on in its net of wonder forever.” And, indeed, that’s certainly the case for Tiffany & Co.

The American jeweller is no stranger to the ocean. It’s been meditating on the myths and motifs of the sea since the mid-century, when celebrated designer Jean Schlumberger created an odyssey of oceanic jewels. More than 60 years later, his work has become as steeped in legend as Atlantis, echoing through countless Tiffany & Co. collections. The most recent? Blue Book 2025: Sea of Wonder.

Tiffany & Co. unveiled its yearly high-jewellery offering (entitled Blue Book) in New York City in April. Designed by Nathalie Verdeille, chief artistic officer of jewellery and high jewellery, the assortment is presented in 10 distinctive aquatic chapters, the first six of which were released this spring. “This collection showcases a deeper and more abstract interpretation of the sea,” explains Victoria Reynolds, chief gemologist and vice-president of diamond and gemstone acquisition, over email. In other words, less seashell necklace, more conceptual sea turtles.

The Ocean Flora, Seahorse, Sea Turtle, Starfish, Urchin and Wave series reimagine the underwater world through a diamond-encrusted lens, toeing the line between nautical and novelty. The Ocean Flora necklace calls to mind an underwater garden, the Starfish brooch is whimsically decorated with moonstones and there’s even a surrealist choker that captures the rhythmic dances of waves.

And while much can be said (and will be described later) of the technical wizardry and inventive craftsmanship that permeates every piece in this dreamy ornamental suite, we must first address the Jean Schlumberger of it all. Like with previous Blue Book collections, the design process started with a quick trip to the jewellery designer’s archives. A known oceanophile, Schlumberger loved looking to the seas and letting his imagination run rampant. “He used gemstones in a way similar to how a great painter uses paint,” Reynolds reflects. “The colour combinations were unique and unexpected and made each piece of jewellery a unique treasure.”

Indeed, Tiffany & Co.’s evocative colour palette is a justified point of pride. Meant to mirror the “iridescent shimmer of underwater light” and “bioluminescent dances of oceanic creatures,” lemon-yellow diamonds, fiery-red rubies and bold emeralds seemingly float atop a vibrant offering of earrings, rings and necklaces.

This close-up magic is a Tiffany specialty, and Reynolds reiterates the technical virtuosity that each piece requires. For example, to create the hidden mechanism that transforms the Sea Turtle pendant into a brooch takes 900 hours of artisan craftsmanship. Then, for the Urchin chapter, details include vivid yellow diamonds inventively looped in an 18-karat-gold “rope” as well as coral-hued paillonné enamel—a signature Schlumberger style that expertly layers translucent enamel over gold to elevate the colour and glow.

It must also be said that the jewels are big—like Pacific Ocean big. Both the Urchin and Ocean Flora rings showcase jaw-dropping internally flawless diamonds of more than 12 carats and 16.5 carats, respectively. Likening these stones to a “perfect drop of water: crystal clear and glittering with spectral colours,” Reynolds says it’s a testament to Tiffany & Co.’s legacy and reverence for the refined that it was able to procure these gems. “[They] represent the pinnacle of rarity and perfection in diamonds.”

But where this Sea of Wonder truly plunges to new depths is its exploration of movement. To quote Schlumberger himself, “I try to make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion.” Taking this idea to heart, the Wave necklace is as much a study of restraint as it is an exercise in razzle-dazzle. Volumes and textures collide like water crashing onto the shore, as the choker features a rhythmic ripple effect that’s anchored by 17 carats of diamonds and a bounty of blue and green cuprian elbaite tourmalines.

Ultimately, Reynolds hopes that the Blue Book 2025: Sea of Wonder collection is admired not just for its sense of wonder and whimsy but also as a sparkling homage to Tiffany’s craftsmanship and history. “I hope Tiffany fans see that through innovation and our exceptional savoir faire, we continue to create the world’s most exceptional high-jewellery designs,” she begins. “We continue to honour Jean Schlumberger’s work because [it] epitomizes the essence of Tiffany’s creative spirit. By celebrating his legacy, we not only pay tribute to a master but also inspire a new generation of designers to innovate while staying rooted in our heritage.” No troubled waters here.