The centerpiece of the Tiffany Yellow Diamond is a diamond.
Despite its vivid yellow color, the Tiffany Yellow Diamond is not citrine or topaz. It is a large fancy yellow diamond, a colored variety of diamond whose hue is associated mainly with trace elements and changes in the stone's structure. Its unusual color and exceptional size helped make it one of Tiffany & Co.'s signature jewels.
The rough stone was discovered in South Africa around 1877 or 1878 and weighed 287.42 carats. Tiffany acquired it and had it cut under the supervision of gemologist George Frederick Kunz. Cutting reduced it to 128.54 carats while creating an unusually faceted cushion-shaped brilliant intended to emphasize its visual character.
The jewel was never sold as an ordinary retail stone. It became a traveling and display piece associated with the company, and Audrey Hepburn wore it in publicity photographs for Breakfast at Tiffany's. In 2023, Tiffany announced a new setting for the famous gem; its identity as a diamond did not change.