Tiffany & Co. and Musée des Arts Décoratifs Partner to Conserve 10,000 Jean Schlumberger Designs
Tiffany & Co. has initiated a four-year collaboration with the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, aimed at restoring more than 5,000 designs and personal papers by Schlumberger. This initiative was unveiled during Paris Fashion Week (28 September–6 October) at an event that featured designs alongside pieces from the Mellon Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, including the Jasmine necklace. Jean Schlumberger (1907-87), who became Tiffany's first named designer in 1956, is renowned for the iconic Bird on a Rock, which has been reinterpreted in the 2026 Legendary Bird brooch. Recent collections, such as Hidden Garden, Sea of Wonder (2025), and Céleste (2024), reflect his artistic influence. He was one of only four designers permitted to sign their creations at Tiffany.
Key facts
- Tiffany & Co. and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs launched a four-year conservation project covering more than 5,000 Schlumberger designs and 5,000 personal documents
- The project was announced during Paris fashion week, 28 September–6 October, at an event at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Jean Schlumberger (1907-87) was hired in 1956 by then-chairman Walter Hoving as Tiffany's first named designer
- Bird on a Rock first appeared in 1965 and is reimagined in the 2026 one-of-a-kind Legendary Bird brooch
- Recent Tiffany high jewellery collections referencing Schlumberger include Hidden Garden, Sea of Wonder (2025) and Céleste (2024)
- Rachel Lambert ('Bunny') Mellon met Schlumberger in 1950 and owned over 100 of his jewels and objects
- Schlumberger was one of only four designers Tiffany has allowed to sign their work, with Paloma Picasso, Elsa Peretti and Frank Gehry
- The event displayed jewels from the Mellon Collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, including the Jasmine necklace and butterfly bracelets
Entities
Artists
- Jean Schlumberger
- Walter Hoving
- Babe Paley
- Gloria Guinness
- Diana Vreeland
- Bruce Davidson
- Nathalie Verdeille
- Victoria Reynolds
- Rachel Lambert Mellon
- Bunny Mellon
- Audrey Hepburn
- Lucien Lelong
- Natalia Paley
- Daisy Fellowes
- Baba d'Erlanger
- Marina, Duchess of Kent
- Elsa Schiaparelli
- Charles de Gaulle
- Nicolas Bongard
- Paul Poiret
- Jackie Kennedy
- Paloma Picasso
- Elsa Peretti
- Frank Gehry
Institutions
- Tiffany & Co.
- LVMH
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- Mellon Collection
- American Vogue
- Magnum Photos
- Harper's Bazaar
- Cartier
- Free French forces
- The Art Newspaper
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Alsace
- Berlin
- Germany
- East 63rd Street
- East 92nd Street
- Fifth Avenue
- Richmond
- Virginia
- Oak Spring
- Bali
- India
- Thailand
- Guadeloupe