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 "

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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 

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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.