Tiffany & Co’s Iconic Hen on a Rock Brooch Is Reimagined With Pearls

The American jeweller has reinterpreted this iconic design with rare natural pearls for the first time since Jean Schlumberger’s Bird on a Rock brooch was launched in 1965 for Tiffany & Co.

In jewellery circles, the story of how designer Jean Schlumberger encountered a yellow cockatoo in the 1960s, and was so inspired by the feathered creature that he went on to create the Bird on a Rock clip for Tiffany & Co, is as legendary as the jewellery item itself. Coveted by both male and female collectors across the world, many one-of-a-kind interpretations have seen the light of day, with various interpretations over the past decades. The delightfully whimsical bird has been seen atop a vast array of large, coloured and faceted gems – some of which are highly prized and precious stones.

One of its most spectacular iterations features the famous Tiffany Yellow Diamond, one of the largest yellow diamonds to have ever been discovered, for the Musée des Arts Décoratifs’ Jean Schlumberger retrospective in Paris in 1995. More recently, Tiffany & Co cleverly adapted the design for an amazing pair of cufflinks worn specifically for the About Love campaign by Jay-Z, who also donned the Apollo brooch on his tuxedo lapel.

And now, for the first time, the iconic brooch has been reimagined with the world’s rarest natural saltwater pearls, debuting along with a high jewellery capsule collection in Doha this February. The extraordinary pearls featured on the Bird on a Pearl brooches were acquired from the private collection of Qatari businessman Hussain Al Fardan, and are particularly prized for their size, shape, and unrivalled lustre. His knowledge of natural pearls from the Gulf region, which are recognised as the most exquisite in the world, spans centuries of history. Creating a necklace of these pearls – uniform in size, shape and lustre – can take over 20 years. For this exclusive Bird on a Pearl collection and the high jewellery capsule collection, Al Fardan had opened his doors to Tiffany & Co., even offering the jeweller some of his favourite pearls – an exceptionally rare opportunity for high jewellers. The result is a collection of magnificent brooches and jewels that were unveiled to a select group of clients in Doha.

A masterpiece from the collection is a three-strand necklace adorned with over 371 carats of graduated natural saltwater pearls in a light cream hue. The Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Bird on a Pearl platinum and yellow gold necklace flaunts round and semi-round natural saltwater white pearls, diamonds and pink sapphires. Remarkable baroque, button and near-round pearls breathe new life to the iconic brooch, while a pendant, earrings and rings – set with rare natural saltwater pearls in dark grey, grey, light cream, light pinkish-brown and white – are defined by subtle nods to Jean Schlumberger’s enduring aesthetic.