Tiffany & Co.’s archival masterpieces bring new Netflix movie, Frankenstein, to life

A darkened 19th-century laboratory, storm clouds gathering, Victor Frankenstein on the cusp of creation — these are the images most of us associate with gothic novel Frankenstein.

Yet in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming version of Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic, splendour emerges in places you might least expect: the glitter of diamonds, the sheen of platinum, the shimmer of carved glass. As the movie hits Netflix globally on November 7, we are eagerly awaiting to see Tiffany & Co. playing a starring role of a different kind.

At its heart, Frankenstein is the tragic story of a scientist who defies death by creating life in the form of a creature — and in doing so, sows his own ruin. It’s a tale of ambition, identity, responsibility, and the monstrous consequences that follow when we play god.

Del Toro’s adaptation draws deeply from this tradition, but with his signature blend of visual richness, emotional weight, and dark horror.

The Academy Award-winning director has said this project has been a dream for over a decade, finally realised via his multi-year deal with Netflix. His vision reworks but honours the novel, bringing out not only the terror of creation but also the beauty like we’ve never imagined before.

And in a first for the 188-year-old house, Tiffany & Co. has opened its vaults to cinema, contributing rare archival creations alongside contemporary high jewellery and bespoke pieces created just for this film set in the 1850s.

Costume designer Kate Hawley, whose past credits include Crimson Peak and Mortal Engines, worked closely with the New York jewellery house to select 27 pieces. Of these, 10 are historic jewels, some of which were designed in the early 1900s by Julia Munson and Meta Overbeck under the vision of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the maison’s second-gen chief and art director who was celebrated for his bold experimentation and reverence for nature.

In addition, six are archival silver objects, six are contemporary creations, and five are original jewels designed specifically for this production by Hawley. Nearly every jewel is worn by Mia Goth in her role as Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s adopted sister and fiancée.

Veteran actor Charles Dance of Game of Thrones fame also appears with a Tiffany pocket watch, playing Victor’s strict father Leopold Frankenstein.

One such treasure is the Tiffany Wade Necklace, crafted circa 1900, with some 40.45 carats of European-cut diamonds set in gold and platinum. This elaborate piece had never, before now, been worn in modern times or appeared onscreen.

Another is the Tiffany Favrile Glass Scarab necklace, featuring scarab beetle motifs realised by deep-blue Favrile glass, which is a decorative, hand-wrought art glass developed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who was a leading figure in the Art Nouveau movement.

Christopher Young, Tiffany & Co.’s vice president and creative director of patrimony and global creative visual merchandising, says, “Frankenstein continues Tiffany & Co.’s legacy of contributing to the world of cinema — not simply as adornment, but as a storytelling layer, helping bring unforgettable characters and screen moments to life through the enduring language of Tiffany jewellery.”

Combined with bespoke textile designs inspired by organic forms, these meticulously curated jewels will no doubt present a veritable feast for the eyes. And we cannot wait.