Timestamp: October 10, 2007
Location: 37 Wall Street
Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images, courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
We arrived at the tail end of the opening festivities in which Tiffany brass rang the NYSE opening bell and the Founding Ceremony, attended by Dignitaries including Chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski and Deputy Mayor Doctoroff. Also in attendance a gaggle of Wall Streeters who looked on while enjoying coffee and Tiffany Blue-and-white cookies dispensed from coffee carts with Tiffany Blue ® umbrellas no less.
The ceremony kicked-off the opening of Tiffany’s 11,000 sq. ft. store, a great addition to the downtown area that’s still in the process of revitalization, post 911.
The 25- Story Beaux Arts-style building was constructed in 1907 and underwent extensive restoration prior to the opening. Tiffany kept to the original classic setting and commissioned the architectural design firm, Yabu Pushelberg, to design a modern environment of glass and light. A focal point is a 75-feet –long floating sculpture by renowned lighting designer Ingo Maurer.
Once inside, we turned our focus to some limited edition statement rings housed on the ground floor, each one individually registered. The very affable, Marvel Chung, G.G. [Graduate Gemologist] gave us the specs on the spectacular 19.22 carat orange colored garnet, [an extremely rare stone] nestled in a diamond and platinum art deco basket in which there were 94 oval diamonds totaling 0 .92 carats and round diamonds totaling just over 0.50 carats.
Price: $37,500.
Just behind the statement ring and earring case was one of the company’s Wall Street Grand Watches, only sold at the Wall Street location. The rose gold watch is a limited edition piece and [you guessed it] only 37 of them were made. Each watch is numbered, as is a limited edition print or photograph.
The Wall Street Grand – Vital statistics:
- The automatic watch is a derivative of the " Tiffany Grand™ "
- Face has a unique ' pin-stripe' design meant to evoke the Pin Stripe suits of the stereotypical Wall Street billionaire immortalized by Michael Douglas as “Gordon Gekko” in the Oliver Stone classic “Wall Street”.
- Front side has the "Wall St " moniker and unique watch number engraved on it
-Packaged in a sleek black jewelry box with the name and number fastened right on top. The box resembled a very chic toolbox with a decidedly Tom Ford aesthetic.
At the time of this post, 14 were still up for grabs.
To inquire: tel: 212-514-8015