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Not Just Any Blue

  • Aristos Patsalidis
  • Mar 18
  • 8 min read

 

Tiffany & Co. was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812–1902) and his business partner (Dokko, 2025). The first store opened that same year in New York, originally selling luxury goods rather than focusing solely on jewelry (Dokko, 2025; The Tiffany & Co. Timeline, n.d.). Over the years, Tiffany & Co. has become instantly recognizable for its iconic blue colour, which was established in the 1940s (Dokko, 2025). Known as Tiffany Blue, the shade is officially designated as Pantone 1837, named after the year of the brand’s founding (Klara, 2014, as cited in Kaur, 2016). This distinctive color is copyrighted and has become a key element of the company’s Corporate Visual Identity (CVI) and "a symbol of exclusivity, sophistication, and elegance" (Rawlings, 2012, as cited in Kaur, 2016).

The colour’s strong association with the brand is evident in its packaging, featuring the signature white satin ribbon (S&R Jewellers, 2024), as well as in advertising campaigns, store displays, and other brand visuals. According to S&R Jewellers (2024), this distinctive colour not only increases the appeal of Tiffany's fine jewellery but also reflects the brand's dedication to exceptional craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. Tiffany’s packaging, which includes a box with a white satin ribbon, a suede blue bag, and a matching paper bag, has become an integral part of the Tiffany experience (Milosevic, 2025). The packaging itself is considered just as luxurious and desirable as the jewellery it contains.

 

But Why Blue?

"Psychologically, blue is associated with purity, peace, and propriety" (Milosevic, 2025). According to Milosevic (2025), branding agencies often choose blue for its traditional and trustworthy connotations, yet it also evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue.

Therefore, the 1837 Blue of Tiffany & Co. is more than just a colour—it holds a psychological and neurological significance in how individuals perceive, learn, and make judgments. Associative learning, as discussed by Le Pelley et al. (2016), suggests that stimuli that stand out or hold particular significance can enhance attention. The distinctiveness of Tiffany Blue, historically linked to luxury and elegance, makes it a powerful visual cue that naturally draws attention. Over time, consumers associate this colour with exclusivity, reinforcing brand recognition and desirability.

On a neural level, the formation of synapses plays a crucial role in memory and learning. Parkhurst et al. (2013) highlight that synaptic plasticity—the ability of neural connections to strengthen or weaken over time—underpins how we form associations. Tiffany Blue, when repeatedly encountered in meaningful contexts, such as receiving a coveted gift in the signature box, may contribute to lasting neural connections that reinforce the colour’s association with excitement, prestige, and value. This synaptic reinforcement means that even a fleeting glance at the colour can trigger deep-seated emotions and memories.

And as I looked at Tiffany’s signature 1837 Blue, I found myself thinking: “I have seen this colour before.” But where?

Suddenly, as if a flashback from my memory, the portrait of Marie Antoinette appeared in my mind. A strikingly similar shade can be seen in Portrait of Marie Antoinette (1783) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. This painting was created shortly after a previous portrait of the queen was criticized for depicting her in attire deemed un-aristocratic. The new painting helped reaffirm her aristocratic status and French identity (Herrera, 2019). The dress in the portrait is described as "a blue-grey robe à la française, typical for a French aristocratic woman of the time" (Herrera, 2019). Marie Antoinette also "decorated the front of the gown with a large striped ribbon bow" (Herrera, 2019). This aesthetic resemblance suggests a possible influence on Tiffany & Co.’s packaging.

The idea that Tiffany Blue may have been influenced by European aristocracy extends beyond mere speculation. In 1848, Charles Lewis Tiffany introduced gemstones and jewellery from European aristocrats to America. Additionally, in 1887, Tiffany was involved in the auction of the French Crown Jewels at the Louvre (Cartier Brickell, 2019). According to The Tiffany & Co. Timeline, this allowed individuals in America to purchase such jewellery from the comfort of their own homes for the first time.

But one should keep in mind that this occurred during the Victorian Era, where "jewellery became inextricably bound up with emotion, embodying human connections in ways previously unseen" (Berganza, Victorian, n.d.). Blue jewellery, particularly turquoise gemstones, was popular, often given to wedding guests as tokens of appreciation (S&R Jewellers, 2024). Therefore, the association of the color with marriage, weddings, and engagement began from this point.

And yet another object that shares a similar hue to Tiffany Blue is the American robin’s egg (Blandino, 2023). The American robin is "perhaps the most familiar bird in the United States" (Forest Preserve District of Will County, 2024). Compared to the European robin, the American robin is larger and more vibrant (Forest Preserve District of Will County, 2024). This patriotic connection further enhances the brand’s American identity, presenting it as grand and influential on the global stage, and therefore, the elites of America that purchased the jewellery of the French crown was associated with the European Aristocrats.

This historic marketing tactic, effective throughout the 19th century, has evolved to align with modern trends. Tiffany & Co. has successfully adapted its marketing strategies over time. In the golden age of cinema, the brand became synonymous with glamour through films such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, featuring Audrey Hepburn, and the cultural milestone where Marilyn Monroe sang Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend—with Tiffany & Co. being the first brand that comes to mind.

Fluency-induced judgment bias, as explored by Fiechter et al. (2018), suggests that familiarity and ease of processing a stimulus can influence perceptions of its quality and trustworthiness. The widespread recognition of Tiffany Blue means that people process it effortlessly, leading to an inherent bias in favour of products or experiences associated with the colour. Because fluency enhances positive judgments, individuals may perceive Tiffany & Co. items as more valuable or desirable simply because the color is familiar and easily recognizable. This cognitive bias underscores the power of color in shaping consumer behavior and brand perception, making Tiffany Blue an enduring symbol of luxury and refinement.

Biologically, the colour itself is a marketing genius. This phenomenon can be understood through the principles of color perception and visual processing, as explored by Conway (2009). Tiffany Blue sits at a unique point on the color spectrum, combining elements of both blue and green, which are processed by different neural pathways in the brain. This combination enhances its visibility and appeal, making it a particularly striking and memorable colour.

Therefore, the 1837 Blue of Tiffany & Co. is deeply intertwined with emotions of romance, commitment, and sentimentality, shaping the brand’s identity and consumer experience. The reciprocal dependence between the amygdala and hippocampus, as described by Richardson et al. (2004), plays a critical role in encoding emotional memories. The amygdala, responsible for processing emotions, works in tandem with the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory formation. This neural interaction suggests that when individuals experience emotionally significant moments—such as receiving an engagement ring in Tiffany’s signature blue box—the memory becomes deeply ingrained. The emotional weight of the occasion strengthens the encoding of the color itself, making Tiffany Blue a powerful trigger for recalling feelings of love, joy, and commitment.

This is evident in the present-day campaigns, where Tiffany’s marketing strategies continue to leverage fluency-induced judgment bias. In the early 2000s, their Celebration Ring campaign featured a mother wearing a Tiffany ring while holding her newborn—subtly reinforcing the idea that Tiffany jewellery is an essential part of life’s milestones. More recently, the brand has shifted the narrative with its campaign Not Your Mother’s Tiffany, where a now-grown child celebrates personal achievements—such as graduation or landing a new job—by purchasing a Tiffany ring for themselves rather than for an engagement.

And this brings us to Heuristics, which are cognitive shortcuts that allow individuals to make decisions efficiently by simplifying complex information processing. According to Gigerinzer (2008), heuristics enable people to ignore certain details, relying instead on prior knowledge and experience to guide their choices. This effort-saving mechanism helps individuals navigate daily decision-making without being overwhelmed by excessive information.

In the context of Tiffany & Co., heuristics play a significant role in consumer decision-making. The brand’s signature Tiffany Blue color serves as a cognitive shortcut, allowing customers to instantly associate it with luxury, romance, and commitment based on previous experiences and cultural narratives, that have been explained above. When consumers see the Tiffany Blue box, they instinctively perceive it as a symbol of quality and exclusivity, reducing the cognitive effort needed to evaluate the product. This mental shortcut reinforces brand loyalty and influences purchasing behaviour, as buyers may be more inclined to choose Tiffany & Co. over competitors simply because of the immediate positive associations triggered by the colour.


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