Tiffany & Co. introduced the Streamerica collection of accessories and watches in 1990 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its New York headquarters.

Tiffany & Co.’s Streamerica is inspired by the aerodynamic principles of the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the Streamlined designed collection evolved from the profile of a DC-3 wing and the bolted metal sheeting of airplane construction.  Steel and Industry symbolize America’s aspirations for progress and prosperity.  A Timeless expression of Man’s fascination with speed and technology – and his desire to forge a better tomorrow. 

The entry level, pricewise, of the Streamerica collection in sterling silver of 2002, is the Oval Key Ring.  Of all the pieces in this collection this one most resembles the aerodynamic wing of a DC-3 airplane. The design for this keychain is a replica of the 1993 Stainless Steel Curviline keychain, only that its made in sterling silver instead of stainless steel.  The name Curviline I think only applies to the stainless steel version as catalogs and website I have seen do not feature it on the headings, only Oval Key Ring.

Each piece in the Streamerica line is designed to complement each other to form a cohesive statement in sterling silver.

• Click here to see the 1993 Curviline Stainless Steel Oval Key Ring page.
• Click here to see the 2002 Valet Key Ring in Sterling Silver page.

COMPARING THE STERLING AND STAINLESS STEEL VERSIONS.

I have placed images of both the stainless steel (on the left) and sterling silver (on the right) key rings so that you can compare them visually.  Unfortunately to be able to appreciate the beauty of the stainless steel, you have to hold it in your hand to feel the sheer weight and power of the stainless steel pieces.  

The greatest difference between these two is that the Sterling Silver key ring is marked on the actual piece: Streamerica 2002 Tiffany & Co. .925 , the keyring is also in sterling, but has no markings.  The Steel version has the branding on the round keyring and no markings on the body of the oval piece.  Almost all of the pieces in this Sterling Silver collection were made in Spain, some in Italy.

Although the sterling silver encapsulates the luxury of Tiffany & Co. when comparing them, you can see the softness delicacy of the sterling piece in that it takes scratches, dents more easily.  After all these are everyday items intended to be used and enjoyed. The rivet engraving on the sterling version is not as crisp and small as the steel version, and it catches more of the dirt in these, even after polishing, you can notice on the right photo below the heaviness of the rivets in sterling.

The stainless steel keychain looks practically brand new in comparison.  The steel version is a lot more rare and older in age to the sterling and rarely have I seen it on ebay.  If you do, I would recommend getting the steel version over the sterling piece.