Discover Charles Lewis Tiffany
Charles Lewis Tiffany
(February 15, 1812 – February 18, 1902)
Charles was an American businessman and jeweler who founded New York City's Tiffany & Co. in 1837. Known for his expertise in jewelry, Tiffany created the country's first retail catalog and introduced the English standard of sterling silver in imported jewelry in 1851.
In 1837, with $1,000 borrowed from his father
Tiffany and a school friend, John B. Young, set up a small stationery and gift shop in New York City. Their first day in business brought only $4.98 in sales, but two years later, they were still selling glassware, porcelain, cutlery, clocks, and jewelry. The store expanded in 1841 when the owners changed its name to Tiffany, Young, and Ellis.
The store established a reputation for selling only the finest goods, specializing in Bohemian glass and porcelain. It also began manufacturing its jewelry. Tiffany pioneered several innovations, including the introduction of the first retail catalog in the United States in 1845, the Blue Book, which is considered the first direct-mail catalog to bring fine jewelry to American doorsteps. In 1848, when political unrest in Europe depressed the market in precious stones, Tiffany invested heavily in diamonds, which sold at a significant profit a few years later.
The Charles's Journey Began...
Tiffany was born on February 15, 1812, in Killingly, Connecticut, the son of Chloe (Draper) and Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany was educated at a district school and an academy in Plainfield, Connecticut. At age fifteen, he helped manage a small general store founded by his father, the owner of a cotton-manufacturing company