The Tiffany Diamond

The Tiffany Yellow Diamond on display. — Credit: Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

For almost as long as Tiffany & Co. has been selling fine diamond jewelry, the Tiffany Diamond has been a part of its brand. Company founder Charles Lewis Tiffany bought the 287.42-carat rough yellow diamond from a South African mine in 1877. He had chief gemologist George Frederick Kunz (the man who created birthstones) cut the diamond to 128.54 carats of pure faceted splendor. Usually, the Tiffany Diamond is on display at its Fifth Avenue flagship store, but the company has lent it to four famous women for special occasions — socialite Mary Whitehouse wore the iconic jewel for the 1957 Tiffany Ball in Newport, Rhode Island; Audrey Hepburn wore it in publicity photos for her film Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961; Lady Gaga wore it in a new setting to the 2019 Oscars; and Beyoncé wears it in a 2021 Tiffany ad campaign.