Few people can speak of gemstones with the authority—and poetry—of Victoria Reynolds, chief gemmologist of Tiffany & Co. Tasked with safeguarding the house’s legacy of discovery and design, she stands at the intersection of history and innovation, where legendary stones meet contemporary creativity.
From the robin’s-egg glow of turquoise that inspired Tiffany Blue to the house’s championing of tanzanite, kunzite, and morganite, Reynolds is both custodian and storyteller, weaving each gem into the brand’s 187-year narrative. Under her watch, Tiffany’s Blue Book creations evolve into modern masterpieces, balancing technical precision with artistic daring. At the heart of it all is Bird on a Rock—first imagined in 1965 and now reborn under chief artistic officer Nathalie Verdeille’s vision.
Speaking to GRAZIA Singapore’s Editor-in-Chief Pakkee Tan, Reynolds shares how legacy gemstones, rare turquoise, and the audacity of reinvention keep Tiffany’s world glittering with possibility.
Pakkee Tan (PK): Let’s start with Bird on a Rock. It’s one of Tiffany & Co’s most enduring motifs. From your perspective as a gemmologist, what makes this collection so distinctive in both its high and fine jewellery forms?
Victoria Reynolds (VR): What’s remarkable is how it began as a single piece in 1965 and has since evolved. Under Nathalie’s vision, it expanded into the Wings collection—showing how Tiffany continually reinvents itself while staying true to heritage. Taking something seemingly untouchable, like Bird on a Rock, and translating its elements—a feather here, a turquoise cabochon there—into new, wearable designs for a modern clientele is exactly what keeps the house fresh. It’s a dialogue between past and future, legacy and innovation.
PK: You mentioned legacy stones like turquoise and tanzanite. What role do these gems play in telling Tiffany’s story, and how do their natural hues shape the emotion of Nathalie’s designs?
VR: People often ask where Tiffany Blue came from. We believe Charles Tiffany was inspired by turquoise jewellery in the late 19th century—it was fashionable in wedding jewellery and one of the few American gemstones, which George Kunz, our first chief gemmologist, championed. Turquoise likely inspired the robin’s-egg hue that became Tiffany Blue. From there, the house has consistently elevated lesser-known stones: kunzite, morganite, tsavorite, tanzanite. Using these “legacy gemstones” is intentional—it’s part of our DNA to lift up stones beyond diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.
PK: That passion for coloured stones feels very personal.
VR: It is. Tiffany has always been dubbed the “King of Diamonds,” but colour has played an equally important role. Louis Comfort Tiffany adored moonstones, opals, and garnets; Schlumberger and Paloma Picasso worked extensively with turquoise. Every designer has leaned on coloured gemstones to bring originality and freshness.
PK: I noticed the turquoise in this collection is flawless—no veining, perfectly matched. How did you curate those stones?
VR: That was Nathalie’s brilliance, paired with the meticulous work of my team. Matching such a narrow range of turquoise colour is extraordinarily difficult. For the sautoir necklace alone, you see beads, cabochons, and 13 different wing cuts—all seamlessly aligned in tone. These are not one-off high-jewellery pieces; we produced limited editions of five to ten necklaces, which makes the consistency even more extraordinary.
PK: Given how rare this turquoise is, are you worried about supply?
VR: Natural gemstones are finite—like Argyle diamonds or natural pearls, they will eventually run out. That rarity is part of what makes them so precious. It pushes us to continually search for the best while honouring their scarcity.
PK: The Blue Book creations are also dramatic and cinematic. What were some memorable moments in bringing those hero pieces to life?
VR: Blue Book always begins with the stones—it can take a year to source suites, then another year or two for design and craftsmanship. These collections are truly one of a kind, never repeated. The turquoise and tanzanite suites in particular were especially challenging—repeatable, but at the level of high jewellery. Most maisons would shy away from the difficulty of matching such stones, but Nathalie pushes, and our team makes the “impossible” possible. That collaboration is what defines Tiffany.
PK: Schlumberger was known for playful juxtapositions and sculptural artistry. How does this collection honour his vision while pushing modern boundaries?
VR: I think he would have loved it. He was foremost a draftsman, entrusting model makers and jewellers to realise his renderings. Nathalie has taken that ethos further, using CAD to refine volume and structure, but always leaving the final artistry to master craftsmen. The turquoise Wings, for example, feature 13 unique wing shapes, each hand-carved to fit its exact setting. The precision demanded is extraordinary—something Schlumberger would have deeply appreciated.
PK: Finally, as someone who lives and breathes gemstones, what detail in the new Bird on a Rock collection makes your heart soar?
VR: The Rainbow Birds in the Blue Book collection. Each piece is anchored by a one-of-a-kind stone—a fiery black opal, a vivid spessartine, a cuprian tourmaline. The stone is the hero, but Nathalie elevates it further with playful bird settings—freshwater pearl tails, sugarloaf sapphire details. It’s honouring the legacy of the gemstone while making it sing anew. For me, that’s the essence of Tiffany.
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