Tiffany

Over 150 years after it was first established an exhibition about the famous jewellery company Tiffany has opened in central London. 

The exhibition features over 200 pieces of Tiffany jewellery. Our BBC Learning English colleague, John Escolme, went along to meet the curator and see some of the renowned Tiffany jewels for himself. 

Before you listen to the interview look at these comprehension questions. You can hear the answers in the programme. 

1: Which year was Tiffany first founded? 
2: What is Claire's favourite exhibit? 
3: What is the name of the unit used to measure the weight of jewels? 

Words and expressions from the programme 

brand 
a type of product made by a particular company 

exhibit 
an item in an exhibition 

opal 
a precious stone 

glowing 
producing a continuous light 

pendant 
a decorative object usually hanging from a necklace 
Example 
Her grandmother gave her a beautiful antique pendant to wear on her eighteenth birthday. 

in the palm of your hand 
the inside of your hand from the wrist to the base of your fingers. 
Example 
He held the ring safely in the palm of his hand. 

carat 
a unit for measuring the weight of jewels 
Example 
She had a 20 carat diamond ring. 

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Extras 
 Programme script (pdf - 20k) 
Download this programme (mp3 - 1.5mb) 
Original BBC page here

Anna: Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is Entertainment.
Today we’re looking at the language used to describe glittering stones and
silver jewellery made by the well known jewellery company, Tiffany. The
Tiffany brand – a brand is a type of product made by a particular company -
was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany in New York and by the 1840’s
was selling diamond jewellery. Over 150 years later Tiffany is now known all
over the world for its stunning jewellery. And for the first time in its history
an exhibition has opened in central London featuring over 200 pieces of
Tiffany jewellery. Our BBC Learning English colleague, John Escolme, went
along to see the exhibition and was guided around it by its curator Claire
Phillips. Claire tells us which is here favourite exhibit or piece of jewellery
featuring at the exhibition. What is it and when was it made?
Claire Philipps Dur: 11"
One of my absolute favourites is the fire opal collar made for the Paris exposition in 1900.
And at the time it was described as being the finest collection of fire opals in the world.
Anna: Claire says that “one of her absolute favourites” – one of her best-liked things –
is the “fire opal collar.” An opal is a precious stone whose colour changes
when the position of the person looking at it changes – this one is a fire opal –
the colours of fire – reds, yellows, greens and oranges. Claire describes the fire
opal collar in more detail. Listen out for some of the adjectives and other
descriptive terms that she uses:
Claire Philipps Dur: 33 "
These extraordinary glowing orange and green stones with their marvellous play of colour
arranged as a collar that would have been worn around the neck with originally a wonderful
pendant hanging from it.. The geometric patterning based on native American art but really
the river of rich orange and green stones described by Tiffany’s gemologist at the time as
“each one a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand.” .
Anna: Claire uses some lovely language to describe the fire opal collar. She uses the
adjective “glowing” which means that the stones are producing a continuous
light. The stones are arranged as a collar that would have been worn around
the neck and would have had a pendant or object - perhaps a diamond cut
into a special shape - hanging from the opal stones. She says that the collar
is like a “river of rich orange and green stones” – the necklace of precious
stones looks like an orange and green river. It has geometric patterning which
means that the stones are arranged in a particular order or pattern. The
gemologist – the person at Tiffanys who is a precious stones expert – says that
each one of the stones is like a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand. Each
stone is like a tiny image of the sun setting with its mass of rich red and
orange colours. If you hold something in the plam of your hand you hold it in
the inside of your hand from the wrist to the base of your fingers. Here’s Clare
again – try to listen out for the descriptive language she uses.
Claire Philipps Dur: 33 "
These extraordinary glowing orange and green stones with their marvellous play of colour
arranged as a collar that would have been worn around the neck with originally a wonderful
pendant hanging from it. The geometric patterning based on native American art but really
the river of rich orange and green stones described by Tiffany’s gemologist at the time as
“each one a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand.”
Anna: Finally John ask about a picture at the exhibition of Audrey Hepburn, the
famous actress who starred in the 1961 film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. What
colour is the diamond she is wearing and what other word does she use to
describe its colour?
Claire Philipps Dur: 22 "
So we’ve come now to quite a large picture of Audrey Hepburn – wearing what? Well Audrey
Hepburn wearing a magnificent Tiffany necklace designed by John Schlumbaget in a pattern
of ribbons, diamond ribbons. But at its centre the magnificent Tiffany diamond which is over
128 carats - a beautiful yellow diamond – a beautiful canary yellow stone.
Anna: Well Audrey Hepburn is wearing a beautiful yellow diamond and Claire
describes it as a “canary” yellow diamond - a canary is a small yellow bird -
with a pattern of diamond ribbons.. Clare says that the diamond is over 128
carats – a carat is a unit for measuring the weight of jewels. So Audrey
Hepburn is wearing a beautiful yellow Tiffany diamond.
That's all from this edition of entertainment. Join us again next time.