The Importance of the Box

In collecting, the difference between MINT IN BOX and MINT NO BOX can add up to a lot of money. Collectors pay up for original packaging.

The history of packaging as part of the brand is a long one. For luxury brands like Tiffany and Cartier, the boxes they use to present their products are an essential part of their brand identity. These boxes are not only beautiful and visually striking, but they are also steeped in history and tradition, dating back to the early days of the companies themselves.

For example, the signature blue box of Tiffany & Co. has become an icon of luxury and elegance, with its distinctive shade of blue and white satin ribbon instantly recognizable around the world. This box has been an integral part of the Tiffany experience since the 1800s, when the company began using it to package their most precious jewelry items.

Similarly, Cartier's iconic red box has been a symbol of luxury and sophistication since the late 19th century. The vibrant red color was chosen to represent passion and desire, and the box itself has become a status symbol among the world's most elite.

But these boxes are more than just pretty packaging. They serve an important purpose in protecting and preserving the luxury items they contain, ensuring that they arrive to their owners in pristine condition. They also serve as a tangible reminder of the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship, and are a way for customers to take a small piece of the brand's legacy with them wherever they go.

In short, the boxes of luxury brands like Tiffany and Cartier are more than just containers for their products. They are symbols of tradition, craftsmanship, and exclusivity, and are a vital part of what makes these brands so beloved by discerning customers around the world.

Tiffany Blue

In 1845, company founder Charles Lewis Tiffany chose the shade of blue now known as Tiffany Blue for the cover of the first catalog in which Tiffany presented its annual jewelry collection. The robin egg blue struck a chord with the public, perhaps since turquoise was incredibly popular in the 19th century, as it was believed to have talismanic qualities.

Over time, the hue of the Blue Book was used in other areas at Tiffany, most notably for the packaging, leading to the birth of the Tiffany Blue Box. The Tiffany Blue Box soon became the most coveted box in the world, and in 1906 the New York Sun reported: "Tiffany has an object in store which you cannot buy, no matter how much money you bid, only he can give it to you. And this is one of his boxes.”

Cartier Red

Red is the color of love and the color of Cartier's jewelry boxes, marking the company as the jeweler of love. Reminiscent of 18th-century splendor, the octagonal jewelry cases made of Moroccan leather with gold garlands have become synonymous around the world with giving a loved one something special.

The company, which was founded in Paris in 1847, initially focused on cases in black, olive green and pink tones, until the elegant shade of deep red finally prevailed in the 1930s. The interior is either white or black velvet, depending on what better showcases the piece of jewelry inside.

Hermès Orange

The signature shade of luxury leather goods manufacturer Hermès came about in a time that had absolutely nothing to do with glamor: World War II. In 1942 there was a shortage of materials everywhere in Paris, and Hermès also felt compelled to replace the cream color of its boxes, which had been the norm until then. What was still available was an orange shade and Hermès grabbed it, little knowing that this orange would eventually become synonymous with the brand.

Today, the boxes at Hermès Orange come in 188 different sizes, so that customers can safely bring their newly acquired treasures home in them, from silk scarves to the legendary Birkin bag. Only their furniture has to do without the signature orange, as Hermès admits on its website.

The boxes from Tiffany, Cartier, and Hermès also play an important role on the auction market. It can make a big difference if an object is offered with or without the original box, especially when it comes to wristwatches. But the boxes are also becoming increasingly popular as collector's items on their own and are sometimes auctioned by themselves, an alternative for luxury lovers on a budget.