Pharrell Williams Shows How Diamonds Can ‘Hover’
Pharrell Williams always sets out to “hit a nerve” with the fine jewelry he designs for Tiffany & Co.
The American jeweler just unveiled two more iterations of his Tiffany Titan collection: one featuring cultured Tahitian pearls; the other exalting a new prong-less method for setting diamonds.
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Pearls are a hallmark of Tiffany’s design, from the seed-pearl suite that Abraham Lincoln gifted to his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, for the presidential inaugural ball in 1861 to the rare saltwater pearls featured in the Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany Bird on a Pearl capsule collection.
Freshwater pearls were also a feature of a second chapter of Tiffany Titan that Williams introduced last September.
Meanwhile, the new trademarked Floeting platform for the Titan Setting line makes diamond earrings seem part of the ear, while a diamond seems to hover in a multi-shank ring or necklace thanks to a micro groove laser cut on the underside of the stone.
Williams, who kicked off men’s fashion week in Paris earlier this month with his Louis Vuitton fall 2025 show, was back in the French capital during couture week, hosting a dinner Tuesday night to celebrate the collection’s third launch phase.
Among the VIPs in attendance were Dua Lipa, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, Anya Taylor-Joy, Taylor Russell, Callum Turner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Paloma Elsesser and Arón Piper.
In the run-up to the event, Williams spoke about his creative process around fine jewelry.
WWD: How did you approach this latest iteration of the Titan collection, and why Tahitian pearls?
Pharrell Williams: This iteration expanded on the concept of Titan and the sea. We used design to give the illusion of floating. Tahitian pearls are exceptional! There are no two that are alike. I love the depth of their color; they are gray but also can appear green or purple. Also, the fact that they spend at least 18 months in saltwater before being used makes each piece so much more special.
WWD: What is the backstory behind the Titan Setting range: the inspirations, references and design approach?
P.W.: Titan is short for titanium. The inspiration is from Poseidon, ruler of the sea, but in this collection, the customer was who I constantly thought about when creating. My intention was for each piece to hit a nerve with the person wearing it. How it would look, how it would make them feel, and what message it would send to the world. With the setting, I wanted to rethink the mechanics behind something so established that it transposes its meaning. We took the sole diamond and completely made it something new that hasn’t really been seen before in jewelry design.
WWD: How much does your personal taste and instincts guide you in the jewelry you design for Tiffany & Co., and how much the heritage and brand DNA?
P.W.: Like everything I do, I love to collaborate. So of course I bring in my perspective on the heritage and brand DNA, but the cool part is how do we blend together to make something no one could imagine.
WWD: How did consumers react to your first Titan designs, and what did you learn from that effort that you could apply to these new projects?
P.W.: Everyone has seemed to really love what we were doing. The results are a reaction to hitting a nerve with the customer and giving them something that makes them feel like the version of themselves they want to put out into the world. There’s something for everyone.
WWD: How does wearing your Tiffany hat — or sunglasses — feed the rest of your creative universe, and vice versa?
P.W.: I often say this but a majority, if not all, of what I create are things that I would enjoy seeing on myself, on those around me, and on humans in general.
Launch Gallery: Inside the Dinner Celebrating Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams
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