The Story of the Tiffany & Co. Diamond Certificate

of the Tiffany Diamond Certificate is not only about design, but also reflects constant advancement in diamond characteristic assessment and measurement.

Of course, as these become increasingly sophisticated, Tiffany & Co. have been able to push the boundaries of their own exacting standards when selecting diamonds for each Engagement Ring and other diamond jewellery.

Ever at the leading edge of design and quality in fine jewellery, Tiffany & Co. have regularly updated their Diamond Certificates to adapt to changing assessment techniques, advancements in technology and demands from customers for ever higher standards of quality and transparency.

engraved onto the band of the ring and makes reference to a ProportionScope, an instrument referred to on later certificates as an ’electronic proportion measurement system’.

Tiffany 1990s Engagement Ring showing Diamond Registration Number on band

GIA ProportionScope from the 1980s

The certificate is laminated and the folder is a navy blue polyurethane ‘leather’, known as PU leather, with gold embossed lettering to the front cover.

Accompanying GIA Diamond Certificate, 1998

Our example shows Emerald Cut Diamond certificates from Tiffany and GIA, perhaps most notable for the relatively limited amount of information they provide compared with modern day certificates.

The most recent example of certificate duplication is from 2005. Here there is no laser inscription on the diamond recorded on either the GIA or the Tiffany Certificate:

Tiffany & GIA Diamond Certificates, 2005

For the first time, Tiffany measure and record the cut precision of the diamond – leading the way towards today’s classification of most of their diamonds as Triple-X, denoting excellent cut, polish and symmetry. They also, for the first time, record the crown angle and pavilion depth. While the detail from GIA rather lags behind at this point; they were subsequently dropped by Tiffany & Co. as a service provider.

The earliest record of a Tiffany Diamond Registration Number inscribed on a diamond is actually from 2004. But of course, as diamonds are a relatively slow-moving retail item, a period of transition certainly occurred as Tiffany adopted new innovations and stock moved through their stores worldwide.

Notice too that the paper has changed; it is no longer laminated and is presented in updated A5 sized black PU folder with the Tiffany & Co. name embossed in a smaller font size. The certificate is also embossed with the Tiffany & Co. gemological laboratory insignia and the paper is watermarked.

Diamonds from this time will sometimes be laser inscribed and sometimes not, but at this point Tiffany no longer worked with the GIA, having established the credibility of their laboratory and adopted leading edge technologies, including laser engraving of the diamonds.

Around 2007 Tiffany diamond certificates were changed to a larger format. This certificate folder measures 12 inches in length:

Tiffany Diamond Certificate Folder, 2007

These folders did not last long, perhaps due to the size being a little cumbersome; again they were made from black PU leather and stamped Tiffany & Co. There is now a reference to the Tiffany & Co. crown inscription (below) which is laser inscribed on the diamond.

Tiffany Diamond Certificate, 2007

Tiffany Crown Inscription Certificate detail, 2007

The certificate is embossed with the Tiffany & Co gemological laboratory insignia and the paper is watermarked. By 2008 these folders had mostly vanished but of course, rings which already had large format certificates but had not yet sold did not have them replaced.

This new offering was presented in a new format, featuring thicker folded card and a hardback folder, still in the classic Tiffany Blue®:

Tiffany & Co. Diamond Certificate folders, 2023

The certificates are embossed with the Tiffany & Co. gemological laboratory insignia:

Tiffany & Co. Diamond Certificate, 2023

It also marked the gradual introduction of a newly designed ring box, replacing the black inner box with a sleekly designed Tiffany Blue® inner box with a sprung push-button opening mechanism.

With the advent of a digital world and the growing demand for enhanced transparency, the company may adapt its certification processes to incorporate more sophisticated features, including perhaps a shift towards digital formats, offering customers easier access to their diamond's details and a more secure means of certification.

It is quite likely Tiffany will look to implement blockchain technology to create a secure and immutable record of each diamond's journey from its origin to its sale. Such an innovative approach will help ensure authenticity and ensure customers can trace the journey of their precious diamond from its formation two or three billion years ago, to its new place of rest, on their finger!