That’s what Volvo asked itself as it set out to determine just what a “Volvo for life Award” should look like…feel like…and stand for. Volvo sought a design for a trophy that showed, rather then told, the spirit of excellence at the heart of the awards and our heroes. After our own 75th anniversary, we wanted the award to become part of our company’s legacy and withstand the test of time for our heroes and future generations.

Fortunately, withstanding the test of time is also what has defined the Tiffany brand since it was founded in 1837. Like Volvo, Tiffany is world-renowned for classic design – and for adhering to the highest standards of quality. As a result, Volvo approached Tiffany & Co. to partner in the creation of the awards.

Tiffany shares our heritage of quality and craftsmanship, and is internationally recognized for its commitment to design innovation. Tiffany also shares our profound commitment to the environment and to preserving the natural world that has served as the inspiration for so many of its timeless designs.

It was clear to both brands that the Volvo-Tiffany partnership was a natural one, and that the finished product would be tailor-made to the highest standards. Tiffany trophy designers are some of the finest on earth, and come from a variety of creative backgrounds. Most have been with the company for more than 10 years, and have extensive experience designing awards such as the championship trophies for the NFL and NBA.

To put the awards in context, representatives from Tiffany were invited to attend an awards gala to experience firsthand the emotion of the program and the heroes. Next, Tiffany and Volvo met to delve deeper into the meaning and the spirit of the awards, and discuss the approach to creating the trophy design. Finally, Volvo offered Tiffany designers a unique experience by inviting them to tour the Volvo design center in Camarillo, Calif., to see our designers at work creating new prototype vehicles. This experience helped them come up with the clean lines and elegant concept for several trophy designs, all of which were presented to Volvo's executive management.

Volvo selected a design that was a loose interpretation of a steering wheel guided by three hands working together (literally and metaphorically) to support the center sphere and steer the wheel, illustrating a shared sense of community. The Tiffany designers then got to work creating the trophy. From design to finished product, this process can span an entire year, and includes:

Creating the trophy design
Carefully molding the silver, which requires constant reheating during the process
Cleaning the molded silver to remove contaminants
Hand-cutting and rolling the molded sheets of silver to obtain the desired shape
Assembling the trophy according to the design blueprint
Laser engraving and silversmithing
Polishing the trophy parts prior to assembly
Assembling, stamping (hallmarking) and polishing the trophy to its final luster.

Tiffany & Co. also executed Volvo’s Butterfly Award for child heroes, based on an initial design by world-famous Miami artist Romero Britto, and enhanced with a special Tiffany touch. This trophy consists of an interpretation in silver of Britto’s original butterfly, hanging from a delicate, flexible Tiffany-designed stand that gives the impression the creature is constantly in flight.

These trophies have hardly gone unnoticed. According to Tiffany, people have expressed great appreciation for the fact that Volvo and Tiffany have partnered in honoring local heroes who have gone above and beyond to improve the quality of life for everyone. Together, Tiffany and Volvo have created trophies as appealing today as they will be tomorrow – clearly a testament to great design that represents the timelessness, quality and craftsmanship shared by both brands.