Style, Grace, Tiffany's....or is it?
Written: Mar 03 '00 (Updated Mar 03 '00)
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Disclaimer - I am not a connoisseur of jewelry. I am just a guy who likes to get jewelry that is elegant for the people in his life, who has bought some items from Tiffany's in the past.
What does Tiffany's mean? What connotations does it conjure? I know that the first thing which I think of is Audrey Hepburn - beautiful, ripe with class, gracious. Not just because of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, but I really think the two have a lot in common. They have the same niche in their respective industries - the choice of impeccable Taste. But is that still the case for Tiffany's?
Description
Tiffany's sell, designs and manufactures jewelry. They put the jewelry in pretty bags. They have locations in most major cities (I have been to their stores in New York, Boston and San Francisco).
Spiraling Down?
My mom raves about Tiffany's as the epitome of all that is elegance, but then again I don't think she has bought anything from there since the seventies. I think that says a lot of about Tiffany's today; it lives on its momentum, which was created decades ago.
I recently went and shopped at their San Francisco location. I walked inside the store and was blown away by the extent to which the stuff up front was gaudy; I mean this was the type of hideous stuff you expect on the hands and necks of 60 year old wives of Colombian drug czars (from "If I wear really loud diamonds speckled with other gemstones, maybe they won't notice my wrinkles" philosophy). Of course, the loudness was not the only thing burning my retinas, the prices left color spots in my vision as well. Multiple thousands of dollars for something that is frankly ugly - as ugly as that blue thing Brenda Warner was wearing during the Super Bowl.
Quick Tangential Question: Who buys this stuff? It's expensive and ugly, but someone MUST be buying it. Like the coats on the fourth floor of Neiman Marcus that look like they were made from a peacock which had been part of the animal Mary Kay make-up tests of the seventies - a leather patch here, some clashing colors there, a bright yellow patch here, VOILA!, a $16,000 master-piece. Seriously, these things exist, people! I kid you not. Yet I digress....
The Eeks' Experience
Anyways, after 10 minutes of the shock that Tiffany's had gone to hell in a tacky hand basket, my vision returned as I stumbled upon the back room which seemed to be the last stronghold of old school Tiffany's style. Now this was of what I thought, when Tiffany's came to mind - simple silver pieces ranging from necklaces to bracelet’s, that were at once tasteful and stunning. The items were mildly expensive but within the price range of someone shopping for that special somebody. The sales woman was very helpful which amazed me because being a male under the age of thirty not dressed in a suit, usually means you get the evil eye in upscale stores - not so in Tiffany's. She put up with all my questions and was one of the most helpful sales people I have ever encountered. I picked up a charming silver necklace with hearts around it for under $200. Back in my junior year of High School at the Tiffany's in Boston, I purchased another beautiful necklace for my girlfriend that had one single silver-outline of a wavy heart on a chain for under $100. I am very picky about gifts and Tiffany's was the only place wherein I found a satisfactory gift at a reasonable price.
The Name Factor
Don't discount the value of the mere fact that the item you purchased is from Tiffany's. When it comes to jewelry and clothes, image IS everything. When a young lady knows it's from Tiffany's, their heart flutters. When they see that bag, *flutter flutter*. There is something different about getting something from Tiffany's, something that is intangibly special.
Conclusion
Tiffany's still has some of what made it THE store for elegance - the Audrey Hepburn of jewelry. But the fact remains that it also ONLY has some remnants of that. Most of the jewelry is expensive and gauche, which is a shame. But there are still the proverbial diamonds to be found among the rough - simple silver pieces. For that alone, Tiffany's is a great place to shop for the majority of people, especially for young men (like me) looking for that piece of jewelry with which to make a statement to their young ladies. Just do not buy the stuff up front with the fat price tags and the LSD color clashing.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Will Holt
Location: Boston, Mass
Reviews written: 58
Trusted by: 156 members
About Me: Wow--looking back on this half my articles were atrocious and embarassingly titled--all for the money.
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