Tiffany, Charles Lewis, 1812-1902, American merchant, b. Killingly, Conn. He founded the famous jewelry firm of Tiffany and Company, New York City. His improvements in styles of silverware won wide recognition, and when in 1851 he introduced the English standard of sterling silver, the leading silversmiths in the United States followed his example. Much of his later life was devoted to studying and encouraging the fine arts.