Victoria Reynolds - Tiffany & Co.'s First-ever Female Chief Gemmologist

Tiffany & Co.'s first-ever female chief gemmologist, Victoria Reynolds, talks about how she has seen the jewellery world change in the last three decades, and of her intangible connection with the famed brand

- Hillary Kang

In the 30 years that she has spent at Tiffany & Co., Victoria Reynolds has dealt with “tens of thousands” of diamonds, including the staggering Empire Diamond, an internally flawless oval diamond of over 80cts that's said to be the brand's most expensive jewel to date. Yet one of the pieces she is most fond of is an unassuming gold Tiffany watch. “It was around the time I joined Tiffany in the summer of 1987, and it was the first significant piece I bought for myself,” she says. “I think I wore it for about 25 years and never took it off- - I still have it.

Reynolds' fond memories of the brand even extend back to her childhood; her first visit to a Tiffany boutique was at age 9, when she accompanied her father to purchase a brooch for her mother, a moment she still recalls clearly today: “I still remember walking through the doors and being mesmerised by the diamonds and coloured gemstones that were displayed on the shop floor, Reynolds said in a separate interview. “It's a feeling that's really stayed with me.

As Reynolds describes it, her loyalty to the famed American jewellery house extends beyond the fiscal. She shares the brand's deep commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, and speaks proudly of Tiffany's philanthropic endeavours. “There's always an opportunity to improve practices, set more ambitious goals, and collaborate with new partners to achieve our vision of a sustainable world, she says.

You're the first woman to hold the position of Chief Gemmologist at Tiffany & Co. What does it mean to you to assume that mantle, especially as the first woman to do so in the house's history?