The American jewelry company founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young was Tiffany & Co. The partners began in New York City as a stationery and fancy-goods shop, using $1,000 borrowed from Charles Tiffany’s father. The original business operated under the name Tiffany, Young and Ellis.
The company gradually expanded into glassware, porcelain, clocks, silver, and jewelry. Charles Tiffany took control in 1853, when the firm adopted the name Tiffany and Company and focused increasingly on jewelry. Its reputation grew through distinctive retail practices, including fixed prices rather than bargaining and the publication of the Blue Book catalog.
Tiffany became especially influential in American jewelry. In 1851, it helped establish the 92.5% sterling-silver standard in the United States. In 1886, the company introduced the Tiffany Setting, a six-prong diamond ring design intended to lift the stone and maximize its brilliance.
A common mix-up is calling the company simply “Tiffany’s.” That nickname is widely used, but the formal company name is Tiffany & Co.