America, rendered in gold and gemstones. This autumn Tiffany & Co. opens its archives in the Ozarks, pairing more than a century of its jewels with the paintings and objects of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
At a glance
- Exhibition: Nature Adorned: The Artistry of Tiffany & Co. and the American Imagination.
- Where: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
- When: October 9, 2026 – March 29, 2027.
- Admission: free, according to the museum.
- Star piece: the 27.21-carat Arkansas Diamond, found in 1926 and acquired by Tiffany in 1946.
What is the “Nature Adorned” exhibition?
It is a joint exhibition of jewelry and gemstones from The Tiffany Archives, dated from 1885 to 1987, shown alongside paintings, glass, books, minerals and sculpture from Crystal Bridges’ own collection, National Jeweler reports. The museum describes it as an exploration of the natural world as both inspiration and material. It is curated by Jen Padgett, Crystal Bridges’ Windgate curator of craft.
“This exhibition reveals the power of seeing The Tiffany Archives and Crystal Bridges collection in conversation,” Victoria Reynolds, Tiffany’s chief gemologist, told National Jeweler.
Which Tiffany pieces are on show?
The headline stone is the 27.21-carat Arkansas Diamond, a fitting homecoming for a gem found in the state in 1926. National Jeweler also highlights an 18-karat gold necklace from 1885–1895 set with 30 multicolored American tourmalines; George Paulding Farnham’s enameled orchid brooches of 1889–1893 in gold, diamonds and rubies; and Jean Schlumberger’s “Hedges and Flowers” necklace of 1978–1987 in gold, platinum, diamond, rubellite and turquoise. Schlumberger’s 1965 Bird on a Rock brooch also appears, the design whose revival we covered here.
An American house, telling the story of American stones, in the heart of the American South.
The history: Tiffany and the American gemstone
Founded in New York in 1837, Tiffany did more than any other house to put American gems on the world stage. Its gemologist George Frederick Kunz, who joined the firm in the late 1870s, championed stones found in the United States, including the tourmalines of Maine; one pink spodumene variety was later named kunzite in his honor. The firm’s designer Paulding Farnham turned that enthusiasm into art, and his lifelike enamel orchids won acclaim at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle. Nearly a century later, Schlumberger’s naturalism carried the same idea into the modern era.
For the Collector
- Plan your visit: the exhibition runs October 9, 2026 to March 29, 2027 at Crystal Bridges in Bentonville; the museum lists admission as free.
- Archive, not inventory: the pieces belong to The Tiffany Archives and the museum, so they are for viewing only; it is a rare chance to study period workmanship up close.
- What drives value in vintage Tiffany: a clear signature, the named designer (Farnham and Schlumberger pieces are especially sought after), original condition and documented provenance.
- American gems: period jewels set with American tourmaline and other domestic stones are a distinctive niche for collectors of nineteenth-century Tiffany.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Tiffany exhibition at Crystal Bridges open?
It opens on October 9, 2026 and runs until March 29, 2027.
How much are tickets?
Crystal Bridges lists admission to the exhibition as free; check the museum’s website before you travel.
What is the Arkansas Diamond?
A 27.21-carat diamond found in 1926 and acquired by Tiffany & Co. in 1946, according to National Jeweler.
Sources: National Jeweler · Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
