Antique American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Letter Opener
View Similar Items
Antique American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Letter Opener
About the Item
- Creator:Tiffany & Co. (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 2 in (5.08 cm)Width: 7.13 in (18.12 cm)Depth: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Early 20th Century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: BQ8861stDibs: LU898013563842
Tiffany & Co.
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.
- Large American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Jewel CasketBy Woods & ChatellierLocated in New York, NYLarge Art Nouveau sterling silver jewel casket. Made by Woods & Chatellier in New York, ca 1910. Rectangular with straight sides, curved corners, and hing...Category
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Tiffany American Edwardian Art Nouveau Sterling Silver BasketBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYEdwardian Art Nouveau sterling silver basket. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, circa 1907. Solid well with engraved leaves. Open sides with interlaced scroll-and-leaf pattern heigh...Category
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique English Art Deco Sterling Silver BoxBy Robert Pringle & SonsLocated in New York, NYGeorge VI sterling silver box. Made by Robert Pringle & Sons in London in 1939. Rectangular with curved corners. Cover hinged and tabbed; top has engine-turned wave ornament and rect...Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large American Art Deco Sterling Silver Desk Box by Andrew TaylorBy Andrew A. TaylorLocated in New York, NYLarge American Art Deco sterling silver box. Rectangular with straights dies, and curved and hinged cover. Engine-turned linear ornament on cover and sides: 2 groups of fine lines al...Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Large Antique English Art Deco Sterling Silver Cigar BoxBy Edward Barnard & SonsLocated in New York, NYGeorge V sterling silver cigar box. Made by Barnard & Sons, Ltd in London in 1930. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and with tapering tab; top flap with engine-turned li...Category
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Kerr American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver BookmarkBy William B. Kerr & Co.Located in New York, NYTurn of the century Art Nouveau sterling silver bookmark. Made by William B. Kerr in Newark. Dagger blade engraved with interlaced script mono...Category
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Sterling Silver Letter OpenerLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis sterling silver letter opener is a handsome piece that makes a great gift. Not only is it functional but a beautiful accent to your desk. Sleek and unadorned it works with any d...Category
Vintage 1940s Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Cigarette Case Romantic couple Art Nouveau Sterling Silver SalimbeniBy Salimbeni, Giorgio SalimbeniLocated in Firenze, FIRectangular desk cigarette case with rounded corners in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated with fine hand-painted fire-enameled miniature depicting a romantic couple in Art Nouveau...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Art Nouveau Decorative Boxes
MaterialsGold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
- Antique Sterling Silver Saw Cucumber Slicer / Letter OpenerBy Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co. Ltd.Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive, rare antique George V English sterling silver and satin wood cucumber slicer / letter opener realistically modelled in the form of a saw; an addition to our novelty silver flatware collection This exceptional antique English sterling silver novelty letter opener / cucumber slicer has been modelled in the form of a hand saw. The surface of the blade is plain and unembellished, with a serrated edge to the lower portion. This rare antique slicer/letter opener is fitted with a satin wood carved handle to one end. Such original and novelty silver examples are becoming increasingly difficult to locate. Condition This antique letter opener...Category
Vintage 1910s British Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- 1980s Sterling Silver Swan Letter OpenerBy Sarah Jones Silver 1Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive vintage Elizabeth II English sterling silver letter opener; an addition to our diverse ornamental collection This exceptional vintage Elizabeth II cast sterling silver letter opener has a sabre shaped form. The arched terminal of this letter opener has been realistically modelled in the form of a swan's neck and head. Condition This vintage sterling silver letter...Category
Vintage 1980s Great Britain (UK) Letter Openers
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Antique George V Sterling Silver Letter Opener / Bookmark (1912)Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn exceptional, fine and impressive, rare antique George V English sterling silver paper knife/letter opener/bookmark; an addition to our silver flatware collection. This exceptional and rare antique English sterling silver letter opener/bookmark has a plain tapering blade. This antique paper knife...Category
Vintage 1910s English Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Novelty Sterling Silver Bookmark, Ruler, Letter Opener, 1901By WILLIAM HORNBY, LONDON (1898-1913)Located in Bath, GBA wonderful novelty piece of solid silver, late Victorian or early Edwardian in era, fully hallmarked for London 1901. The makers mark is also present for the silversmith, William Hornby. A fabulous combination of a large bookmark, an 8" ruler and a letter opener; ready to adorn the finest of desk tops...Category
Antique Early 1900s European Edwardian Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Sparkling Legacy of Tiffany & Co. Explained, One Jewel at a Time
A gorgeous new book celebrates — and memorializes — the iconic jeweler’s rich heritage.
15 Scintillating Jewelry Watches to Elevate Your Holiday Style
Watchmakers have tucked their movements into all manner of precious baubles, from lapel pins to cocktail rings. The result is dazzling, wearable art that will get you to the party on time.