Elsa Peretti – Tiffany’s Favourite Designer

Everybody loves Tiffany, especially when the creation is designed by Elsa Peretti. Renowned for her simple sculptured shapes she is the very essence of a modern style icon.

Elsa Peretti was born in Florence Italy 1st May 1940 and educated in Rome & Switzerland.

In 1963 she moved to Milan where she studied interior design and worked for Dado Torrigiani. She also spent a brief period posing for Salvador Dali in Barcelona who introduced her to sculpture.

In the late 60’s she moved to New York modelling for Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo and her love of fashion & style led to her to start designing jewellery. During the 1970’s she frequently visited the legendary nightclub Studio 54 with her fellow supermodel friend Anjelica Huston. They mixed with celebrities such as Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger and Liza Minnelli who later became a great fan of her jewellery.

Elsa Peretti

Her jewellery designing career began in Manhattan designing pieces for Halston. Famed for his minimalist fashion for whom she had been a fashion model and who later became a long-time friend.

Bloomingdale New York opened a boutique exclusively selling the jewellery that she designed for women such as herself – bold strong and modern. Later she also created jewellery for Oscar de la Renta and Giorgio di Sant’Angelo.

In 1974 she joined Tiffany heralding a new era in jewellery design. Her modern minimalistic organic designers causing a sensation in the jewellery world changing our conception of jewellery forever. Five years later she was the firms leading designer. Peretti’s work is still as popular today, her jewellery pieces have become icons in their own right. Elsa Peretti has designed over thirty statement pieces for Tiffany & Co.

Among her most iconic pieces is the open heart ring, earrings, pendant and bracelet. instantly recognisable with its soft sensual curves. She was influenced by the empty open spaces in Henry Moores sculptures. This is perhaps the most cherished in her collection loved by all age groups. The heart pendant was featured on the cover of “Newsweek” in April 1977.

Elsa Peretti Jewellery Is Timeless

Another design classic must be her diamonds by the yard that quickly became a style icon. Originally designed for tiffany’s younger customer who wanted an affordable diamond that could be worn day or night.

Luxury style without the fuss.
Named “diamonds by the yard” by Halston these chains interspersed with bezel set diamonds became an instant hit – the epitome of everyday glamour. Later we saw colour by the yard using sapphires, aquamarines, emeralds or ruby’s and also pearls by the yard were added to this collection.

Her abstract bone cuff that curvaceous shape following the lines of the wrist was influenced by a visit to a 17th century Capuchin church that was adorned with human bones. This piece is a favourite of by Sophia Loren and Naomi Watts.

Her designs were inspired mainly from nature but also influenced by travel and childhood memories. These include her bottle, bean, thumbprint, teardrops, starfish, scorpion, eternal circles, infinity cross, stacking rings and snake necklace with the serpent’s head being the clasp that also allows the necklace to be worn at different lengths. The bottle pendant was inspired by young girls she observed during the 1960’s in Portofino who carried gardenias in bottles around their necks to keep their flowers fresh. The bean collection is based on a seed representing the origin of life.

Zodiac Collection

During the 1980s the mesh collection became immensely popular as did her Zodiac collection. In order to create the mesh, Peretti worked with her lifetime friend Samuel Beizer, to develop the technique of knitting gold mesh.E

In 1968 she moved back to the small village of Sant Marti Vell in Catoaonian Spain where she has lived for the past fifty years. She not only renovated her own house but much of the village including the gothic church of Sant Marti. Among other products supporting the local economy, she has also planted a working vineyard.

Always a voice for feminism, children and human rights she is also passionate about wildlife and environmental issues as well as culture, arts and science. In 2013 the national Council for Culture and the Arts awarded Elsa Peretti the prestigious Premi Natural de Culture Catalunya. She has also been awarded a number of accolades including an honorary doctorate of fine arts from FIT, the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award for Design, the President’s Fellow Award from the Rhode Island School of Design and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Accessory Designer of the Year Award.

Elsa Peretti Jewellery Today

In 2009 The British Museum housed an exhibition of her work “Elsa Peretti Jewellery and objects for Tiffany & Co”.  Now her most iconic pieced have earned a place in their permanent collection with the heart pendant, scorpion necklace, mesh scarf and bone cuff being among them. She also has exhibits in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

Today her designs remain as relevant as ever. Her pared-back Jewellery has an enduring appeal that feels new, the epitome of timeless design. Her jewellery is loved by old and young alike. Designing in silver as well as gold makes many pieces affordable to all. Her work is also favoured by royalty, the Duchess of Cambridge chose an Elsa Peretti Cabochon by the yard necklace for her engagement photo.

Diamonds have been around forever – literally! When you ask how old is this diamond remember most diamonds were created by nature at he birth of the Earth billions of years ago and other still older diamond came to earth via meteorites from distant stars. They were first found in India about 5000 years ago, they just like any stone and are known as rough diamonds. Largely diamonds only came from India until the 18th century.

In the middle of the 19th century diamonds were found in South Africa at Orange River. By the beginning of the 20th century South Africa was the worlds top diamond producing country. The shear volume of diamond produced In South Africa meant the price dropped and diamonds became accessible tho the European and American middle classes. During the early 20th century large diamond deposits were found in Australia, Russia and Canada

There are some very large diamonds in the world.

Diamonds have been around forever – literally! When you ask how old is this diamond remember most diamonds were created by nature at he birth of the Earth billions of years ago and other still older diamond came to earth via meteorites from distant stars. They were first found in India about 5000 years ago, they just like any stone and are known as rough diamonds. Largely diamonds only came from India until the 18th century.

In the middle of the 19th century diamonds were found in South Africa at Orange River. By the beginning of the 20th century South Africa was the worlds top diamond producing country. The shear volume of diamond produced In South Africa meant the price dropped and diamonds became accessible tho the European and American middle classes. During the early 20th century large diamond deposits were found in Australia, Russia and Canada

There are some very large diamonds in the world.