Last summer, Tiffany & Co. presented its inaugural Bangkok exhibition, celebrating the surreal genius of Jean Schlumberger.
All images courtesy of tiffany & Co.
The ‘Legendary Legacy’ exhibition in Bangkok
Jean Schlumberger’s extraordinary legacy at Tiffany & Co. continues to captivate more than half a century after his revolutionary designs first graced the House’s Fifth Avenue salon. Last summer, the Maison honoured his enduring influence with ‘Legendary Legacy’, its inaugural exhibition in Bangkok. The exhibition presented over fifty archival pieces that illuminate the visionary partnership between Schlumberger and the storied jeweller. It was an magnificent showcase of Schlumberger’s imagination, one that transformed jewellery into wearable mythology.
Jean Schlumberger portrait, by Horst ©CondeNast
Jean Schlumberger, the making of a legend
Born in 1907 into a prominent family of textile manufacturers in Alsace, France, Schlumberger showed a gift for drawing early on, later creating designs that would redefine twentieth-century jewellery. His journey to Tiffany began in the avant-garde salons of 1930s Paris, where he crafted buttons and costume pieces for Elsa Schiaparelli, the surrealist fashion pioneer. This early collaboration with the fashion world’s most daring innovators would prove formative, establishing his aesthetic foundation of dreams made tangible.
Sketch by Jean Schlumberger.
The exhibition’s centrepiece, naturally, is the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond, presented in its latest incarnation: A sophisticated homage to Schlumberger’s iconic Bird on a Rock brooch. Five diamond-encrusted birds encircle the legendary yellow stone, each subtly different, capturing the essence of flight itself. The creation required over 2,000 hours of meticulous craftsmanship, embodying both reverence for the original 1965 design and contemporary innovation.
The Tiffany Diamond Bird on a Rock Brooch
An archive of imagination
Among the archival treasures, the Elephant Head Clip stands as particularly poignant for Thai audiences. Created in 1968, this vibrant composition of emeralds, turquoise, and enamel reflects Schlumberger’s travels through Southeast Asia. The piece exemplifies his ability to honour cultural significance whilst maintaining his distinctly surreal aesthetic.
Elephant Head Clip, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. (1968) Gold, platinum, diamonds, emeralds, turquoise, enamel Joan and Jack Quinn Collection
Equally enchanting, the Hedges and Flowers necklace demonstrates Schlumberger’s mastery of colour and movement. Twenty-two cushion-cut yellow sapphires create a radiant constellation around the wearer’s neck. Additionally, turquoise flowers evoke the luminous depths of tropical waters. Its jewellery as storytelling—each element carefully orchestrated to suggest rather than simply adorn.
Hedges and Flowers Necklace, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. (1960) Gold, platinum, diamonds, yellow sapphires, turquoise The Tiffany Archives
Perhaps most revealing is the Trophée de Vaillance Clip, once owned by Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor who championed Schlumberger’s work from his earliest Paris days. “A Schlumberger lights up the whole room,” she once observed, and this 1941 piece, with its bold interplay of rubies, amethysts, and enamel, demonstrates exactly that transformative power.
Trophée de Vaillance Clip Jean Schlumberger (1941) Gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, amethysts, enamel Provenance: Diana Vreeland (1903–1989) The Tiffany Archives
Abstract interpretations
The Wings Clip from 1951 offers insight into Schlumberger’s creative philosophy. As contemporary critics noted, his designs never borrowed from existing stylistic traditions—they were entirely original, emerging from his singular vision of nature transformed through imagination. This ethereal piece captures the essence of flight without literal representation, showcasing the abstraction that made his work so distinctive.
Wings Clip, Jean Schlumberger (1951) Gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires The Tiffany Archives
The exhibition also showcases Tiffany’s pioneering role in the jewellery watch movement of the early twentieth century. A striking 1926 pocket watch exemplifies this innovation, its gold case adorned with diamonds and rubies arranged in a bold checkerboard pattern. This petite timepiece demonstrates the House’s mastery in combining function with beauty, seamlessly blending elegant practicality with decorative artistry—principles that would later inform Schlumberger’s own approach to transforming everyday objects into extraordinary creations.
Pocket Watch 1926 Gold, diamonds, rubies The Tiffany Archives
Jewellery as sculpture
What emerges from this collection is not merely technical virtuosity—though Schlumberger’s craftsmanship was undeniably exceptional—but a coherent artistic vision. He approached jewellery as sculpture, creating pieces that were as remarkable from the reverse as from the front, with movement and dimensionality built into every element.
Jean Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock
The exhibition’s Bangkok setting proves particularly poetic. Thailand’s own rich tradition of symbolic design and meticulous craftsmanship mirrors the values that Schlumberger brought to Tiffany. Both cultures understand that true luxury lies not in ostentation but in the marriage of technical mastery with imaginative vision.
Anchor clip by Jean Schlumberger
‘Legendary Legacy’ ran until September 7th at One Bangkok, offering a rare opportunity to witness these archival treasures outside the Tiffany & Co. vault and its Fifth Avenue home. For those who understand that jewellery, at its finest, transcends decoration to become art, this exhibition presents an unmissable encounter with one of the medium’s most original voices.
