Tiffany & Co. is one of the world's most legendary designers of premium goods. Unlike other fashion brands, T&C deal strictly in accessories such as jewelry, watches, glassware, lamps, bags, and more.

While most fashion is judged on a simple set of criteria that includes originality and appeal, Tiffany goods are judged on their quality and painstaking craftsmanship. Long before the modern “bling” era of jewelry, Tiffany was the A-#1 designer in the land, dominating the 1990s in earnings and popularity. “He went to Jared” was never heard. Instead, one word said it all, “Tiffany.”

In 1837 Charles Lewis Tiffany and lifelong friend John Young made the trek to New York from New England with a dream of designing high-end jewelry. After a few years of dabbling around and attempting to form a legitimate business, the duo opened Tiffany & Young, a stationery and goods emporium on Broadway in NYC.

Although it wasn't the lavish store they hoped for, it was a start, and in New York's competitive climate, it was enough to not go out of business. Tiffany & Young are responsible for single handedly taking the “bartering” system out of shopping. Instead of negotiating the price, customers had to pay as marked. This was unprecedented for the day and earned the business instant respect from its peers.

The first days of the business weren't great for sales, however, but after going on the search for rare items, Charles Tiffany was able to turn his business around and make it a success. It wasn't long until they duo were selling the jewelry they'd always hoped to, and the well-to-do in New York couldn't get enough of the one-of-a-kind pieces.

The store performed rather well in the climate until 1887, but after Tiffany & Young sold pieces from the French crown jewels collection, their fame literally exploded. They were known as the go-to place for rare, priceless and quality work. The store boasted a museum quality that was unheard of for the day.

Charles Tiffany also set trends in other ways. Not only did he help introduce the set price into the American atmosphere, but he was also the first in the nation to produce a catalog of the goods sold. Now known simply as Tiffany & Co. the store was known worldwide. Another trend set by Tiffany was the engagement ring. Today's ring with the standard six-prong setting was a Tiffany's original. Charles was known as the world's preeminent jeweler.

Starting as a basic high-ends good store and going into the realm of jewelry was hard work, but after receiving the success they had so much hoped for, Tiffany & Co. was able to move onto other things. Some of the other items they began producing and selling included clocks, pens, perfumes, frames, and lamps, and every product in their store was thought to be one-of-a-kind, thus they quickly flew off the shelves. After various changes in management, Tiffany & Co. is still one of the world's most celebrated purveyors of high-end goods.