Tiffany Chamberstick

Tiffany & Co. is one of the most prominent purveyors of luxury goods in the United States, and has long been an important arbiter of style in the design of diamond engagement rings. A young Franklin Delano Roosevelt proposed to his future wife, Eleanor, with a Tiffany ring in 1904. Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Astors and members of the Russian imperial family all wore Tiffany & Co. jewels. And Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis preferred Tiffany china for state dinners at the White House.

Although synonymous with luxury today, the firm started out rather modestly. Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded it in Connecticut as a “stationery and fancy goods emporium” in 1837, at a time when European imports still dominated the nascent American luxury market. In 1853, Charles Tiffany — who in 1845 had launched the company’s famed catalog, the Blue Book, and with it, the firm’s signature robin’s-egg blue, which he chose for the cover — shifted the focus to fine jewelry. In 1868, Tiffany & Co. gained international recognition when it became the first U.S. firm to win an award for excellence in silverware at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. From then on, it belonged to the pantheon of American luxury brands.

At the start of the Gilded Age, in 1870, Tiffany & Co. opened its flagship store, described as a "palace of jewels" by the New York Times, at 15 Union Square West in Manhattan. Throughout this period, its designs for silver tableware, ceremonial silver, flatware and jewelry were highly sought-after indicators of status and taste. They also won the firm numerous accolades, including the grand prize for silverware at the Paris Exposition of 1878. Among the firm’s glittering creations from this time are masterworks of Art Nouveau jewelry, such as this delicate aquamarine necklace and this lavish plique-à-jour peridot and gold necklace, both circa 1900.

When Charles Lewis Tiffany died, in 1902, his son Louis Comfort Tiffany became the firm’s design director. Under his leadership, the Tiffany silver studio was a de facto design school for apprentice silversmiths, who worked alongside head artisan Edward C. Moore. The firm produced distinctive objects inspired by Japanese art and design, North American plants and flowers, and Native American patterns and crafts, adding aesthetic diversity to Tiffany & Co.’s distinguished repertoire.

Tiffany is also closely associated with diamonds, even lending its name to one particularly rare and exceptional yellow stone. The firm bought the Tiffany diamond in its raw state from the Kimberley mines of South Africa in 1878. Cut to create a 128.54-carat gem with an unprecedented 82 facets, it is one of the most spectacular examples of a yellow diamond in the world. In a broader sense, Tiffany & Co. helped put diamonds on the map in 1886 by introducing the American marketplace to the solitaire diamond design, which is still among the most popular engagement-ring styles. The trademark Tiffany® Setting raises the stone above the band on six prongs, allowing its facets to catch the light. A lovely recent example is this circa-2000 platinum engagement ring. Displaying a different design and aesthetic (but equally chic) is this exquisite diamond and ruby ring from the 1930s.

For centuries, candles have been used in religious ceremonies such as Hanukkah, provided light to work or read by and more. During meals, the soft glimmer of candles adds warmth to a dinner table that no lighting solution could possibly imitate. With the right antique or vintage candleholder, candles can elevate a table setting or just help support your efforts to create a romantic atmosphere in any room.

When you combine the distinctive glow of a candle with a candleholder that matches the color scheme and decor you’ve painstakingly put together, the result can feel like magic. Finding the candleholder that best meets your needs can be daunting because you’re essentially bringing a piece into your home that is as important as the candle itself. Unsurprisingly, venturesome designers over the years have crafted innumerable alternatives to the traditional form of candleholders, and today a broad array of these decorative objects can be found on 1stDibs, whether they’re 19th-century candleholders made of silver or sleek mid-century modern glass candleholders for an understated accent to your dining area.

Try a tabletop orb candleholder from Lynne Meade Ceramics for a distinctive interpretation of this long-loved furnishing. An alluring pair of Georg Jensen stainless-steel candleholders, featuring pronounced organic curves, or Art Nouveau–informed natural-world motifs, on the other hand, can bring a dose of sculptural elegance to your living room.

If you’re more inclined to opt for antique or vintage pieces, find a collection that includes everything from simple wood taper candleholders to elaborate candelabras of gilt bronze or cut glass on 1stDibs now.