At Oak Spring, a Virginia estate nestled between hedgerows and horizon, history doesn’t simply rest—it flourishes. Among espaliered apple trees and greenhouse finials, American style icon Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon cultivated a life rooted in nature, elegance and enduring friendships. One of her most significant relationships was her creative kinship with Jean Schlumberger, the visionary jewellery designer for Tiffany & Co whose fantastical designs helped define 20th-century jewellery—and continue to inspire today.
This September, Tiffany & Co reintroduced Bird on a Rock to the world—not as a singular brooch, but as an expansive high and fine jewellery collection. Originally created by Schlumberger in 1965, the whimsical image of a bird perched on a vivid gemstone has become one of Tiffany’s most recognisable motifs. Behind this design lies a quiet, elegant story of friendship, gardens and shared inspiration—one that leads us back to Oak Spring.
A Perch Outside Her Window
During a recent visit to Bunny Mellon’s estate, I learnt that she’d installed a small wooden peg just outside her bedroom window. Each morning, she would place a halved apple on it to attract birds. Her favourite visitor? A mockingbird—cheeky, musical, unmistakable. In this small gesture lies a key to Mellon’s worldview: beauty, nature and observation.
These values aligned perfectly with Schlumberger’s. Known for his sculptural, nature-inspired designs, he captured the motion of sea creatures, flora and fauna, transforming them into bejewelled forms. He and Mellon were more than collaborators—she was his muse, his confidante, and one of his earliest and most devoted patrons. It was Mellon who acquired the first Bird on a Rock brooch: a yellow and white gold bird, studded with diamonds, perched on a cabochon lapis lazuli. That lapis still feels like the soul of the design—noble, tranquil and steeped in mystery.
Mellon’s devotion went beyond collecting. Each month, when travelling from Oak Spring to her New York City townhouse, she would pin a Bird on a Rock brooch to her signature beret. Quiet but deliberate, it was a personal ritual that signalled her return to the city. The brooch meant business.
Their creative relationship was fruitful. Schlumberger’s enamel bangles—later made famous by Jackie Kennedy—were originally gifts from Mellon to Jackie. A woman of discretion and taste, Mellon understood that jewellery could be more than adornment. On Kennedy, the bangles came to symbolise elegance and strength under pressure.
Nature Reimagined, Then and Now
Nearly 60 years later, Tiffany & Co reimagines Bird on a Rock for a new generation under the direction of Nathalie Verdeille, chief artistic officer of jewellery and high jewellery. This latest collection includes both high jewellery suites and, for the first time, a wider range of fine jewellery designed for everyday wear.
Two distinct design approaches anchor the collection: figural and abstract. The high jewellery pieces lean into naturalism, reflecting Schlumberger’s close observation of birds—how they stand, how wings catch the light, the tension of a single feather. The result is sculptural and alive: birds rendered in diamonds, platinum and 18k gold, caught mid-flight or mid-landing.
In the fine jewellery collection, those forms are distilled into abstract silhouettes. Think hidden settings, scalloped edges and convertible designs that marry form and function. A particularly clever pair of earrings can be worn four ways—from bold drops to delicate studs.
Both expressions celebrate what Schlumberger adored: the individuality and asymmetry of nature. No two birds in the collection are alike. Each is hand-assembled and gemstone-matched for visual harmony—just as each flower in Mellon’s garden was chosen for its personality, not perfection.
A Garden of Gemstones
The high jewellery suites draw directly from nature’s palette. One is anchored by tanzanite, the “legacy gemstone” Tiffany introduced in 1968. Electric blue-violet tanzanite is paired with rubellite, aquamarine, and a luminous 9-carat Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond—a modern nod to the legendary Tiffany Diamond.
The second suite centres on turquoise, a stone Schlumberger loved for its vibrance and unpredictability. A standout necklace features a diamond bird grasping strands of cabochon turquoise, with gold and diamond feathers cascading beneath. The colour evokes not just Tiffany’s robin’s-egg blue boxes, but the wide skies over Oak Spring.
This turquoise suite feels like a love letter—to Schlumberger’s aesthetic and to Mellon herself. It recalls the greenhouse she cherished and the lead-plated copper floral finial Schlumberger designed for it in the 1960s—a piece recently restored by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation and now on view in its gallery.
When Jewellery Tells a Story
What sets this collection apart is its emotional resonance. Bird on a Rock was never just about a brooch—it was a metaphor. For Schlumberger, a bird perched on a luminous gem symbolised joy and optimism, a refusal to be earthbound. For Mellon, surrounded by nature and artists, it reflected deep friendships and the beauty found in everyday moments.
For Tiffany & Co, it’s become a visual cornerstone. Each piece—whether a lifelike bird or an abstract wing—pays tribute to Schlumberger’s imagination and technical mastery.
In Bird on a Rock, past and present, art and ornament, story and sculpture intertwine. It’s a collection that honours the vision of two extraordinary individuals—and reminds us that creativity, like nature, always finds a way to take flight.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Singapore.
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