JEAN SCHLUMBERGER (1907-1987)

Jean Schlumberger, Born in Mulhouse, France IN 1907, was a jeweler renowned for his imaginative and whimsical designs, particularly during his long association with Tiffany & Co. Born into the prominent Schlumberger family, he initially studied art history at the Sorbonne and painting at the École des Beaux-Arts. In the 1930s, he began designing jewelry, creating pieces that combined technical mastery with fantastical, nature-inspired motifs—birds, animals, flowers, and mythological creatures—crafted in bold colors and innovative textures. Some of his early design of jewelry and buttons projects were for the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.

After the war, Schlumberger moved to the United States in 1940 and joined Tiffany & Co. in 1956, where he became one of the brand’s most celebrated designers. He was the first designer that Tiffany & Co. allowed to sign his work. Schlumberger’s creations attracted an elite clientele, including royalty and celebrities, and earned him widespread acclaim, including the Coty Award in 1968.

Today, he is remembered as one of the 20th century’s most influential jewelers. His Bird on a Rock brooch, designed in 1965, remains one of Tiffany & Co.’s – and in the history of jewelry- most iconic creations.