To celebrate the launch of its new 2024 Blue Book Céleste collection, Tiffany & Co. hosted a Los Angeles soirée at the landmark Beverly Estate on April 26. Known for its appearances in such films as The Godfather, The Jerk and The Bodyguard, the Mediterranean-style mansion was built in 1926 by architect Gordon Kaufman.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the property was long known as the Hearst Estate from the time newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and film star Marion Davies owned it. The legendary home was also where John F. Kennedy and wife Jacqueline spent their honeymoon in 1953.
Tiffany & Co. — which has taken over the historic mansion for nearly a month, not only for a series of parties but also for meetings with private clients — put its own stamp on the storied property. Long known for its coral paint color, the Beverly Estate (which was purchased by billionaire Nicolas Berggruen in 2021 for $63 million) was repainted by the luxury house in an eggshell color, with the word Tiffany — in Tiffany blue of course — highlighted in a few prominent spots.
Inside the house, which was also staged with furniture, three rooms were transformed into on-site jewelry showrooms, all of which showcased the new Céleste collection. The 157 pieces are offered at an average price of “close to a million if not above,” as Nathalie Verdeille, Tiffany & Co. chief artistic director of jewelry and high jewelry, shared with WWD.
The event drew A-listers like Emily Blunt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Wilde, who wore their most glamorous gowns to accompany their Tiffany jewels. Elsa Hosk was perhaps the most on point for the event, wearing a Tiffany-like baby blue, semi-sheer bodycon dress by Alaïa. Reese Witherspoon and daughter Ava Phillippe also attended the party, posing for pictures alongside fellow guests like Usher, Quinta Brunson and Suki Waterhouse.
As Gabrielle Union toured glittering displays, she wore Tiffany & Co.’s Pisces necklace showcasing an unenhanced orange sapphire that totaled more than 23 carats. (Dua Lipa wore the piece at the 2024 Grammy Awards.) When a rep for the house steered Union toward one display, saying “we have some pieces that go with your necklace,” the actress took a look and beamed, “It’s the rest of the family.”
While in 2023 Tiffany & Co. plumbed the depths of the seas for its Blue Book inspirations, for 2024, the jewelry house looked to the heavens to create Tiffany Céleste, a collection that interprets the sun, moon, stars and the galaxies beyond in diamonds, gold, platinum and gemstones.
Many of the celestial-themed jewels were conceived by famed designer Jean Schlumberger, whose tenure with Tiffany & Co. began in 1956 and lasted until his death in 1987. His talent was so prolific, the high-jewelry workshops in the jeweler’s Fifth Avenue Landmark building continue to produce new pieces based on his archived sketches, many featuring signature elements that range from nature motifs to artful settings that mix yellow gold and platinum.
Tiffany & Co ambassador Taylor-Joy and Witherspoon were among the stars wearing Céleste pieces Thursday evening. The Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga star wore a suite of starburst-themed jewels crafted in diamonds as well as pink and red spinels set in 18-karat yellow gold and platinum, while The Morning Show star-producer’s orbital-themed necklace highlighted a fancy yellow intense diamond that totaled more than 10 carats, surrounded by yellow and white diamonds set in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold.
As guests perused the 2024 Blue Book collection exhibited throughout the Beverly Estate, many sported both classic Blue Book pieces and designs from 2023’s Out of the Blue. Usher wore a pair of Schlumberger’s iconic Bird on a Rock brooches, while Emily Blunt donned the designer’s Tiffany Floret necklace, a showcase of turquoise stones totaling more than 105 carats, surrounded by diamonds and set in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold.
The roughly 150 guests sat at two long tables for dinner on a terrace overlooking the home’s gardens. At the start of the meal, Tiffany executive Alexandre Arnault gave a toast welcoming the assembled, while also noting that the Cinderella evening would conclude with a pumpkin moment.
“Most of us, including myself, have to give everything back tonight. I’m sorry about it as well,” said Arnault, with a laugh. “Hopefully, we’re turning the brand into something more elevated than it has ever been, and today is the first time we can really share this vision with all of you. Thank you, enjoy, drink some wine and give us the jewelry back.”
Over the course of the next three weeks, Tiffany & Co. expects that around 1,000 private clients will come to the freshened-up Beverly Estate to view and try on the new Blue Book Céleste collection.
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