How Tiffany Moved 114,000 Gems Without Getting Robbed

Jan 13, 2020 · 143 comments
Skiplusse (Montreal)
I was 20 and made some money...very legally. So, I asked the sweetest girl in the world if she would spend a week with me in N-Y. We drove from Montreal, no passports, no photo on my drivers licence, at around 85 miles an hour. We walked into Tiffany, there was a security guard. I had rarely seen a man this size in daytime, but I was struck by the size oh his handgun. The barrel went to his knee. The following summer, I walked in Cartier, in Paris. No guns, no big fat guys.
JEL (NYC)
And because of this story, the robbers will be waiting for the post- construction move back!
A.L. GROSSI (RI)
They could’ve just hid everything in boxes of history books. Nobody would’ve given them a second glance and it would’ve been a much cheaper option.
Illuminati Reptilian Overlord #14 (Colonizing space vessel under Greenland)
I hope they call the temporary store "Breakfast at Nike's". (sighs) For the uninitiated - the sneaker company acquired an open ended licensing use of the name from this entity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_(mythology) "Open ended" in this case means the license is in effect until the sneaker company either goes out of business or Nike the goddess's next of kin destroy the universe. She would be under familial obligation to assist in the latter endeavor. This was a sticking point that resulted in a slightly lower fee.
Angela Flear (Canada)
Any woman who says she does not like diamonds is not to be believed. My favourite combo in jewellery is both diamonds and pearls. I feel elegant when I wear them together.
Jp (United States)
@Angela Flear It would be difficult to believe any woman’s ever said that.
DoPDJ (N42W71)
@Angela Flear Oh. Women. As usual. Hmmm, I’ve seen hordes of men with rocks so weighty, studding their earlobes, that said lobes scrape the Astroturf.
Rax (formerly NYC)
Most of these diamonds are blood diamonds. There is nothing remotely "lovely" about diamonds. There is nothing remotely "lovely" about Tiffany's.
Jen (NYC)
@Rax You are incorrect about "blood diamonds" at Tiffany & Co. The company has created a sustainable supply chain for diamonds, with full transparency.
B Dawson (WV)
And not a single employee complained about how heavy the jewels were, unlike the Duchess of Sussex......
Nobody (Elsewhere)
Many years ago, as a teenager in Michigan, I saw an ad in Vogue for Elsa Peretti's first design for Tiffany: the now-iconic silver Open Bottle pendant. The bottle was filled with a large pink oriental lily. I thought it was the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen, but I was, after all, only a teenager in a small town and the mythical Tiffany's was far, far away. Some 20+ years later, the wife of a colleague of mine worked at Tiffany's in NYC. I asked her about the pendant; I'd never forgotten it. "Oh yes," she said. "That's a famous piece; but it's out of production and in the archives now." A decade later she phoned me. "They're putting that pendant back into production. Would you like one? I'll put it aside." We had a big anniversary coming up, so I leapt at the chance. And I've worn it with special joy ever since - to compliments from everyone who sees it. They don't always know it's from Tiffany's, but see it as a truly a magical piece on its own, made all the more meaningful with my own personal story attached.
Pusa (Scotch plains)
@Nobody Such a wonderful story ! I hope you enjoy this Elsa Peretti piece for many years to come ...
Lynda (Gulfport, FL)
@Nobody Lovely story from the days when employees stayed at firms for more than 2 years. Waiting for a special piece of jewelry for over 30 years adds to the memory once it is yours.
MelMill (California)
Sweet piece and what a relief from the horrors of the day. I once worked in 'fine=jewelry' at a major department store and twice a day we had to count every piece of jewelry. I think the count was something like 3500. Tiffany's moved 100K +!
Concorde (USA)
Diamonds are still a girl's best friend. I'm glad they didn't sell to the highest bidder and close the store. I once worked right across the street when Manufacturers Hanover Trust was on the corner. With a bankers salary, I could only afford a small charm for my bracelet that I still own. Nice to hear they successfully moved to the new location.
DGNovelty (Ohio)
Diamonds are actually much more common than jewelry stores would like people to believe. If it weren't for De Beers hoarding and controlling the release of stones into the marketplace, these baubles would be worth considerably less than what is currently charged for them. Diamonds truly are "forever," because one will never recoup the "investment" made when purchasing one of these over-hyped status symbols. Buy them and enjoy them simply as the amulets and tokens they are.
DatMel (Manhattan)
@DGNovelty Paint and canvas are plentiful too but in the right hands can be turned into a work of art worth a lot of money to the people with enough taste to appreciate it. Don’t underestimate the artistry of the jeweler.
Aaron (Orange County, CA)
@DGNovelty Diamonds "DeBeers" is the world's greatest marketing sham in the history of the universe.
Julie Zuckman (New England)
When I was about eight years old, one Saturday my dad impulsively packed my sister and me in the car and drove into NYC to visit Tiffany’s. He’d been working around the house and didn’t change his scruffy clothes. With our help he bought our mom a pretty opal ring. On the way home he commented, “They treat everyone the same. They know how you look has nothing to do with what’s in your wallet.”
Bill (Manhattan)
How much was the city reimbursed for use of NYPD officers to assist with a private company's inventory move?
JimA (Chicago)
@Bill How much tax revenue does Tiffany bring in to the city's coffers?
Mary (New York)
@Bill Exactly my thought. Tiffany is now owned by the richest man in the world - Bernard Arnault. I am sure he can afford paying for security, without sponging off the taxpayer.
Paul R (Brooklyn)
Reading about $100,000+ pieces of jewelry makes me root for the robbers.
MIMA (heartsny)
Why oh why did the Trumps have to live next door. So glad they’re heading to FL!
Nicole (Falls Church)
@MIMA NYC loses a crook, FLA gains yet another "Florida Man".
RMC (NYC)
I am Holly GoLightly; no money, love Tiffany’s, and for the same reasons.
KTbgr (Maine)
For a third of the price of one of those diamond necklaces, I could wipe out my kid’s student debt in one payment. Sigh, to have been ascribed a better status in life…
M (Washington)
I don’t usually read the ads but this one was more interesting than most.
megachulo (New York)
Where is Hollywood when you need it? This would make a great heist movie!
Deb (Blue Ridge Mtns.)
@megachulo - Then you might enjoy the movie Ocean's Eight - an all female robbery team (Cate Blanchette, Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock to name a few), who go after a very pricey necklace.
GP (nj)
I just wish so many of Tiffany products weren't based on the De Beer's cartel and false narrative that diamonds are rare and thus, must be expensive.
Harley Leiber (Portland OR)
Should have used porta potties...refitted with shelves and locks...no one would have given them a second look
Baron (NV)
@Harley Leiber Reminds me of working in Washington, DC, responsible for the cash deposits. Instead of a night drop, which was typical of other locations, I took the cash in a paper bag at lunch time around the corner to the bank. It looked like I was just out of the office with my lunch sack in hand. No one ever touched me.
mainesummers (USA)
Back in Chicago in 1980, I would typically buy wedding gifts for friends from Tiffany's- a set of 4 delicate crystal wine goblets was $20.00. (A set of 4 red wine glasses is now 100.00, they discontinued mine.) They were packaged beautifully in a big blue box with ribbon, and I was a frequent customer who used the same sales associate. One day, she asked me if I'd like to open a charge card there instead of writing checks, so I agreed. When the card came, only my name was on it- no number. I called and spoke to my salesperson, explaining the situation. Her reply was wonderful: "Oh Dear, we don't need a number for you- when you want to charge something a Tiffany's, you just say charge it, and we will."
Aaron (Orange County, CA)
@mainesummers What about the "Gentlemen callers" ?? Your story reminds me of the nostalgic Amanda- "The Glass Menagerie"
Angela Flear (Canada)
@mainesummers What a great story.
tom harrison (seattle)
Sounds like a local cannabis store that moved this summer. I asked the owner one night when they were moving. He smiled and said he didn't know yet. He said that one night they will close, the police will come in and move everything to the new store and that will be when they move:)
Chicago Guy (Chicago, Il)
It's fitting that Tiffany's relocated into a Trump owned building because, by the by the time Donald Trump and the GOP are finished, there will only be about 100 people in the country that will be able to afford to shop there. But that's OK, because each of them will be able to buy everything in the store.
john b (Birmingham)
@Chicago Guy You mean if Bernie is elected.. Remember that he is one who hates the folks with money.
aging not so gracefully (Boston MA)
@john b I don't think Bernie hates people with money. He hates that wealth is so concentrated and the ultra wealthy don't pay taxes at the same rate as the rest of us.
Peter Whittaker (Dublin, Ireland)
@john b I think he means Trump’s/GOP’s policies will increase the wealth gap until 100 people will be unimaginably rich, and the rest of you will be too poor to shop at Tiffany’s. But maybe you got that already, and just wanted to deflect...
Tuvw Xyz (Evanston, Illinois)
Tiffany missed a great publicity, had a robbery been attempted and then made into a film. In my opinion, the breatest film of a diamond burglary from a jewelry store is a French film (1957) "Du rififi chez les hommes", English title "Rififi".
OrangeCat (Seattle)
I'd be happy with a bin! distinctive carts with robin’s egg-blue tambour doors
Angela Flear (Canada)
@OrangeCat Me too! The things I could do with that cart would be wonderful.
Chris Baker (Lompoc)
I'd Marie Kondo that pile of stuff. Does it spark joy? No! Off to Goodwill. Yes....then over to Niketown.
Yann (CT)
I love stories about Tiffany. It's the ultimate sucker story. The bright sparkling baubles that have no inherent value that people covet like crows lining their nests with tinfoil.
JFB (Alberta, Canada)
“.... an engagement ring that weighs as much as a bullet” is a useful comparison? Only in America!
JimJ (Victoria, BC Canada)
Back in the late 60s I was a high school student in Yellowknife in the NWT. I had a part time job after school for a company that provided in-town services for two small gold mines. One of the things we did was to pick up any mail coming from the mine by float/ski planes and deliver it to the post office. This included the occasional brick of gold which generally weighed between 20-30 pounds being mailed to the mint in Ottawa. After a mail strike an accumulated five bricks showed up once. This was back in the day that the price of gold was fixed at $35 per ounce, still a formidable sum. It's worth noting that Yellowknife sat at the very end of long gravel road with nowhere to go but right into the arms of the waiting RCMP. I knew this, of course, but it was still enough of an event to get a teenager's head a-churning.
crafuse (ottawa, on)
@JimJ ahahaha! great story, sitting here laughing out loud to myself. i can just imagine two mounties looking at here other with puzzled faces, asking each other what to do now ... ! :-) (and assuming, that is, that perhaps once upon a time it might not have been two of their finest hanging their hats in yellowknife ...)
M Johnston (Central TX)
@crafuse Dudley Do-right would have been up to the task -- no worries...
Ingolf Stern (Seattle)
As if. Those gems were moved way, way before the Big Show. Rolling cabinet full or bricks.
Terry Mills (Toronto)
I imagine that the Cullinan method of moving precious gems was discussed but considered inappropriate by Tiffany... In 1905 the Cullinan diamond was shipped from South Africa to London, as follows: "Due to its immense value, detectives were assigned to a steamboat that was rumoured to be carrying the stone, and a parcel was ceremoniously locked in the captain's safe and guarded on the entire journey. It was a diversionary tactic – the stone on that ship was fake, meant to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. Cullinan was sent to the United Kingdom in a plain box via registered post.
hfc (usa)
So long as Tiffany's does a better job protecting the lesser items. My mother always tells the story of how, about a decade or so ago, she tried on a bracelet, forgot to take it off, and got all the way home before she realized what she'd done. Nobody at the store (the NYC flagship) had stopped her, no alarm rang. It wasn't terribly expensive (probably under $1,000) but still. They were pretty embarrassed when she returned it.
Theresa Clarke (Wilton, CT)
@hfc Your mom is clearly very proper - that aura emanates and so Tiffany didn’t have to mind her doings.
CK (Christchurch NZ)
How times have changed and not for the better. You never heard of security firms in NZ when I was 15 years old and working as a cadet at the Inland Revenue Department. (50 years ago). I used to bike down to the local bank and bank all the cash and cheque takings for the day, (before computers were invented), with the suitcase full of cash handcuffed to my wrist. Not a care in the world!
DreaBK (Brooklyn)
@CK then why the handcuffs?
CK (Christchurch NZ)
@DreaBK Probably so I couldn't loose the suitcase when I had an ice-cream over the road from the BNZ. Robberies were unheard of back then, in NZ. The internet has a lot to answer for.
Me (PA)
@CK Right, there were no robberies until the internet was invented.
Johninnapa (Napa, Ca)
Somewhere, somebody is working on the screenplay for a great heist movie that revolves around this move. I bet somewhere along the route the armored cars were swapped with cars filled with perfectly replicated fakes... maybe another great “Oceans” movie.
Kirk Cornwell (Delmar, NY)
Rarities worthy of premium prices? Trinkets and stones.
Teal (USA)
Minerals extracted from the ground by tearing apart countless tons of earth; and by grossly underpaid workers too boot. Most people couldn't tell a "real" gem from cubic zirconia or even glass. High priced jewelry is nothing to be proud of. Where are your values people?
mark isenberg (Tarpon Springs)
@Teal Sorry,Teal,but the Tiffany Store is a landmark and a tradition even before Audrey Hepburn made it more famous.You don't have to like all the gem wars in Africa but your high minded ethics "ring" shallow.
john b (Birmingham)
@Teal go ahead and show off your grass woven ring...
Ronald (E Windsor NJ)
What is the date for moving back?
Barbara (South Bay)
Well, now that every thief on the planet knows your security precautions, good luck on the return trip to the original store.
Jim56 (Virginia)
Some of us would have appreciated hearing about expensive jewelry out on the sidewalk BEFORE the move. Way to go New York Times.
Oscar Mayer (Wales)
I am offering this Friday on Craig's List some diamond rings I found on a sidewalk near the NYC Tiffany store.
CJ (CT)
The classic design of Tiffany's was a huge part of its appeal. I truly hope the renovation enhances and refreshes the store, but does not destroy the original look.
Julia (Baltimore)
What exactly is a "dreadnought" diamond? Looking it up online there is no reference to why that word might refer to a gem... any ideas?
Jersey Val (Jersey City)
@Julia This was driving me nuts as well because I could only finds references to dreadnought as a ship. However Miriam Webster, under the battleship definition lists the characteristic : "one that is among the largest and most powerful of its kinds". So maybe this?
Eliza (Anchorage)
@Julia dreadnought refers to a large battleship with big guns. I believe the writer is using dreadnought as a descriptor. A large, imposing diamond.
Julia (Baltimore)
My guess as well... I guess it's just creative writing! I love the sound of the word though...
AS (Astoria, NY)
This is all very interesting, but I'd love details on how the iconic space is going to change as a result of the renovation!
Patrick (NYC)
One of my favorite short stories is Montraldo by John Cheever, if only for its opening sentence. “The first time I robbed Tiffany’s, it was raining”.
Easy Goer (Louisiana)
Like the trademark on their shade of blue, many people may not know that Ferrari has a trademark on their most popular color: "Chinese Red".
b4u85bzbz (Philadelphia, PA)
@Easy Goer I did not know that! Thank you! Now I'm googling trademarked colors.
Brooklynite (USA)
@Easy Goer NCR has a trademarked blue, too.
Jonahh (San Mateo)
Diamonds are literally as common as sand, but their value is only in the marketing. Funny how silly humans are.
Melanie (NJ)
@Jonahh . and try selling an engagement ring - I was told my marquis stone was "out of fashion", and my ring was not worth much at all.
Ron B (Vancouver Canada)
@Jonahh Say, I've got a beautiful bag of kids play sand...... ....I'll trade you for some diamonds...... ..... (preferably my favorite).... .....ice blue.
Dheep' (Midgard)
@Melanie Yes, I'm sure that would be the standard reply you would get most anywhere. Greed has no boundaries, no limits & no rules.
WRons (NE)
One of my more memorable experiences at Tiffany’s NYC was when a sales associate asked me if I wanted to try on something fabulous. Absolutely! I couldn’t afford the sapphire and diamond bangle but for a few moments it was nice to fantasize.
American2020 (USA)
I bought a heavy sterling silver necklace from Tiffany's in the 90's and the last time I checked, it has tripled in value. It's still beautiful and the workmanship looks like I just took it out of the box. It is a rather heavy necklace but the way it was designed, it just rests on my neck and I forget I have it on. That's just one of the "ah ha" realizations of Tiffany jewelry. I design jewelry myself and this isn't easy to pull off. When I gently polish the necklace, I love touching the engraved Tiffany name. Life isn't just about jewelry, obviously, but I applaud excellence and that is Tiffany's. And if you don't get it, that's ok.
Easy Goer (Louisiana)
You said it. It is "an experience". I went there the first time in 1987. It was like another world.; like an "Alice in Wonderland" type of world.
Paul (Berkeley)
@American2020 Dear American 2020-- as someone whose last name is Tiffany, I agree 100%!
rob blake (ny)
It's only worth that much because they say it is. Besides that's retail replacement insurance value and NOBODY pays or gets that. In 10 - 20 years they'll go the way of Barney's Mark my words.
Kim Morris (Meriden Ct)
@rob blake If someone will pay that much, then it is worth exactly that much.
NYC (NYC)
Tiffany & Co is an institution. It has been in existence since 1837, and is ingrained in the design history of this country. There can be no comparison to a mid-level store that’s been around for about 30 years. Tiffany will be in existence for another 150 years, mark my words.
Easy Goer (Louisiana)
Precisely. Their flagship store (on 5th Ave @ 59th St) is very unique; unlike any other store I have ever been to. What I really like are their sales people. They treat all customers equally. You will never find any "I'm better than you" snobbishness in that store. I have gone there dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I was treated the same as when I went their in a suit and tie.
Jonathan Hutter (Portland, ME)
The real egg will be carried on a backpack on a train leaving Gare Du Nord...
Dan Frazier (Santa Fe, NM)
This reads like an advertisement daring a thief to rob the temporary store. If there was a way to lift the entire store, perhaps with a fleet of helicopters or drones, I'm sure someone would attempt it. Fortunately, if that were to happen, we have Batman.
Lynn Sheehan (Burke, va)
I saw the headline and thought this would make a good heist movie. Daniel Craig as the mastermind!
Mark Stone (Way Out West)
No one told George Clooney. If he knew about this all of the jewels would be gone. Ocean's 15.
Deb (Blue Ridge Mtns.)
@Mark Stone - See Ocean's Eight, all female high $$$ jewel heist with A list actresses - it's pretty good.
Lightning14 (Out In America)
Hey Officer! Get your hands out of your pockets! You’re supposed to be ready!
Nat (NYC)
Is this something I really "needed to know to start my day"?
ChuckyBrown (Brooklyn, Ny)
@Nat Yeah, I haven't read such a non-story in the NYT in a while. "The cafe did not make the move" -- yeesh.
Andy (NYC)
There are plenty of other stories about violence, war, politics, crime and pollution if that’s the kind of read you need to start your day. I’m realizing personally that it’s not the healthiest way to start the day. As a New Yorker, this is local news worth reading and interesting.
Richard (NYC)
@ChuckyBrown But you read the article!
EKB (Mexico)
Living in NYC in the 1950s and ´60s and going to school there from 7th grade on, a favorite occupation when we were pretty young was wandering through Tiffany's. I don't ever remember even being looked at suspiciously by the sales people or the guards. It was a fairy tale kind of place, not a snob kind of place. Just because we couldn't afford to buy the glitter didn't mean we couldn't enjoy it. And as I grew older, though not much, it became a place where I could buy lovely and whimsical wedding presents and birthday presents on my limited budget.
Yue L (New York City)
Would a person of color have the same experience?
Richard (NYC)
@Yue L Yes.
EKB (Mexico)
@Yue L Some of my friends were people of color.In any event, I would not deny the continuing awfulness of racism in the US. I just wouldn't hold youthful memories hostage to it.
Susan (Buck County, PA)
Yes Tiffany's is a special place. But sadly, the Trump brand took a bit of the magic away from Tiffany's – and also from The Plaza. Both Audrey Hepburn and Eloise would agree.
Barbara (South Bay)
The Trump brand did infinitely more damage to America’s image in the world. Hopefully, we’ll recover.
Michael Thomas (New York, NY)
@Barbara We will. We're better than he is.
Andrew (New Jersey)
Why use ten or twenty cameras, when 300 will suffice? I doubt highly that even Tiffany & Co. needs 300 cameras... they must really not trust their own employees! I'm glad I'm not a NYC taxpayer anymore. The NYPD is paid overtime for the most inane things in New York City.
Paul E (Daytona Beach FL)
@Andrew the 300 figure was probably just a little 'truthful hyperbole!'
pbilsky (Manchester Center, VT)
In 1942, at the height of World War II my father in law was a FDNY firefighter. One day he walked in to Tiffany and bought an engagement ring for my wife's mother. He gave it to her in a champagne glass New Year's Day. They were very happily married for many, many years. Fast forward to December 2018 when our son Lee made the brilliant decision to ask Molly for her hand in marriage. He needed a ring and turned to my wife. Fantastically, her sister had the ring and the original box it came in. It was embossed with "Tiffany" and was actually red in those days. Molly said yes and the ring is on her hand with a wedding set for June. We are very happy. PB
wavedeva (New York, NY)
@pbilsky Congratulations to you and yours!
Greg Tutunjian (Milton, MA)
I’m an infrequent visitor and consumer in the New York City store. Whenever I’ve ventured in (starting in the 80’s) I’ve always received memorable service. I don’t purchase expensive items, but that doesn’t appear to matter.
Michael (Manchester, NH)
Tiffany has a small boutique on the cruise ship Oasis of the Seas nestled adjacent to the open air "Central Park." The whole experience - a tree-filled park and a Tiffany store on a ship - is a bit surreal. It is fun to go in and browse - the shop is never busy except during their fake "giveaways" - and I wondered if their sales were limited to impulse purchases of their limited inventory. It turns out that most of what they sell on the ship is inventory held in New York. The brand sells itself. I would not purchase expensive jewelry sight unseen, but I guess that people on a cruise tend to be looser with their money.
LIChef (East Coast)
Nice to know that New York City taxpayers, many of whom can’t afford to shop at Tiffany’s, are partly footing the bill to protect the company’s jewels.
Martin (UK)
@LIChef mere pennies compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on sports stadiums by taxpayers, subsidising wealthy franchises and teams?
Andy (NYC)
I’m sure Tiffany pays its fair share of taxes. The sales taxes alone surely covered the expense of a one night police escort. All taxpayers are entitled to police protection when needed.
guyslp (Staunton, Virginia)
@LIChef: Is there really anyone who doesn't know that "extra duty" such as this is paid for by the entity requesting it? Even if they weren't, a once in many decades situation such as this is utterly petty to complain about.
Tom McManus (New Jersey)
Professional burglars thank The New York Times for sharing the exquisite details of Tiffany's move to their temporary store. Of course, they'll have to move back sometime in the near future.
Aydin Torun (East Harlem)
@Tom McManus Not to worry. The professional criminals, the few once around, were the unwitting victims of enhanced sentencing laws. The crooks today are impulsive crash-and-grab types with no discipline and little patience. The careful vetting of resumes and referencrss virtually eliminates problematic employees.
Kvetch (Maine)
Where's Peter Sellers when you need him? God, I miss that man.
aging not so gracefully (Boston MA)
@Kvetchz Don't. He was by all accounts a horrible person. Google actress Patricia Routledge's description of her experience with him.
American2020 (USA)
Oh my, to gaze into those boxes of glittering treasure! My mind cannot even envision it. I lie. Yes, I can. I have always suspected pirate DNA is at the root of my intense love of gems, precious and semi, and the idea of huge containers stuffed to the gills with Tiffany quality gems makes me salivate writing this. Hats off to Tiffany's for being a jewelry company of such exquisite quality for so long.
KT B (Austin, TX)
Remember you are buying a name, not quality. One can get higher and better quality stones at many online and brick jewelry stores, super ideal stones. Tiffany's is an experience but buy elsewhere to get a much better stone and 1/2 the price.
American2020 (USA)
@ KT B Sadly, you don't understand what Tiffany's was, is and will be in the future. Life isn't lived online. It's experienced. Read the comments from folks who bought from Tiffany's and about Tiffany's customer service.
Oxfdblue (New York)
@KT B I write with some bias as my wife was a TCo employee for 31 years. I too thought that Tiffany's was mostly just a name. But I have learned over the past 15 years that: 1) Many prices there are not nearly as more expensive as some people believe; 2) Customer service is second to none; 3) The quality of the merchandise is beyond amazing; 4) The company has been around for 183 years and there is no sign of that changing anytime, the same cannot be said about Uncle Bernie's diamond store or some online diamond place.
alec (miami)
@American2020 when my wife an I got married I had no money for a ring. for our 25th I took her to tiffany's to pick out the ring that she dreamed of .... the sales people couldn't be nicer that I waited 25 years to fulfill a promise
ThisIsNothingNew (NYC)
I was in the store on Saturday and overheard a sales associate telling a couple across the counter that they were about to move - I was certain I’d misheard! My husband and I bought our wedding bands there in 2016 - and sipping champagne whilst ordering our rings was one of the most pleasant and memorable aspects of the entire wedding process, as well as a true New York experience! Loved Kent’s story from the previous comment.
Whitney Devlin (Manhattan)
What saddens me most that even a story about Tiffany’s and all its old memories that are brought back to most who have read this article, someone has to negatively bring up politics! That was a splash of cold water that I did not expect or appreciate!
DatMel (Manhattan)
@Whitney Devlin I don’t care for the politician in question but these are true symptoms of derangement syndrome.
Bill (New York City)
When you have the Secret Service at the Trump Tower on one side of your store blocking the street, the chances of something happening with the addition of further security is remote.
Per Axel (Richmond)
I loved the old Tiffany’s. The wood and stainless steel on the main floor. It represented prosperity and stability. Please do not change it to much. When Bergdorf’s remodeled away from the grey, I was stunned. I loved that permanence of that grey, just like Tiffanys. It lost a lot of that old carriage trade magic. But I still shop there. But long for that french molding and grey.
Duderoy (Issaquah, wa)
@Per Axel I hope they did not get rid of the steps on the left that went downstairs. They handrail carved out of marble what was part of the wall was amazing. It was a really cool building.
Alex Kent (Westchester)
My then-girlfriend and I bought our wedding bands at Tiffany 35 years ago. A lovely experience made even more memorable by having filming for “The Muppets Take Manhattan” going on, with none other than Miss Piggy one aisle over. And yes, we’re still together.
Paul (California)
@Alex Kent 40 years ago for us. And yes, we're also still together.
Oscar Mayer (Wales)
@Paul 50 years this Friday for me, Oscar Mayer, and my dear wife, Bunny Mayer. In honor of our 50th anniversary we will be giving away free hot dogs outside the NYC Tiffany store. With each hot dog will be a box of Cracker Jacks. One lucky couple may find a diamond ring inside!
RABNDE (DE)
@Oscar Mayer Candy coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize! That's what you get in Cracker Jacks!
Susan Anderson (Staten Island)
The last time I was at Tiffany’s it was in the 80’s. Since then I’ve lost one half of 3 pairs of Elsa Peretti earrings, one matching pendant, several kidney stones , a not so faithful husband and too many socks to count. A month ago a beautiful package arrived within 8 hours of an online purchase. Gently coddled in Tiffany Blue, it was 1983 all over again. Thanks Elsa, I feel like a princess.
Oxfdblue (New York)
@Susan Anderson My wife, a now retired Tiffany employee absolutely loved your comment! Enjoy your new Peretti pieces!
Susan Anderson (Staten Island)
@Oxfrdblue Thanks so much! Your wife is familiar with the “ scissor tapping “ as well I’m sure! What a special time in our lives.
Karen (South Carolina)
@Susan Anderson Oh I love your post! I received my first Elsa Peretti piece in the late 80s and I still have. Still love her pieces. Enjoy yours.
SridharC (New York)
I guess we either have to read about Trumps's tweets or about this move! Life is such.
William Culpeper (Virginia)
@SridharC This Tiffany story is such a welcome diversion to Anything at all about Trump! The Tiffany treasures are brilliant and Real, something Trump would not know about in any form.
rachel (MA)
@SridharC Who says you 'have to read' it?
Patrick (NYC)
@SridharC Speak of the devil, Tiffany’s lost a lot of business because of Trump. They should sue. Trump would. https://www.businessinsider.com/tiffany-flagship-store-holiday-sales-fall-trump-tower-security-2017-1