Iconic Tiffany & Co. diamond makes Vancouver debut

Audrey Hepburn wears The Tiffany Diamond in a publicity shoot for 1961's “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

It’s one of the largest and rarest gems in the world, and it’s making its Canadian debut right here in Vancouver. The Tiffany Diamond - weighing in at 128 carats - is on display at the company’s Burrard Street flagship until Jan. 4.

The lavish yellow diamond is best known for its appearance on Audrey Hepburn in the infamous "Breakfast at Tiffany's" poster, one of two women to wear the stone in history. The other? Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, a socialite who wore the piece for the Tiffany Ball in Newport, Rhode Island in 1957.

Discovered in South Africa in 1877, the stone was originally a whopping 287.42 carats. It was sold the following year to Charles Lewis Tiffany for a cool $18,000, where it was then sent to Paris to be cut into the cushion shape we recognize it for today.

While Tiffany refers to the diamond as “priceless”, it was once put up for sale for the asking price of $5 million in 1972 - the offer was only good for 24 hours, however, and Tiffany didn’t receive a single bid.

The brilliant stone has since been on display around the world, but calls the 5th Avenue store in New York City home.

Fans of the iconic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" image may not recognize the gem in its current incarnation - the yellow stone was reset for the company’s 175th anniversary in a stunning necklace of white diamonds (over 120 carats) in 2012, and took a year to complete.

The diamond is available for viewing free of charge during business hours.