Elsa Peretti came into the limelight in 1974 and changed the world of modern jewelry forever. Tiffany Chairman, Michaek Kiwakski hosted a gala cocktail party in celebration of Peretti’s magical achievements over the past thirty five years in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. In celebration of Elsa Peretti’s genius Harper’s Bazaar UK carried a print series featuring Elsa’s trend setting design work. The series gives a wonderful overview of a lifetime of creative work. Elsa Peretti seems as comfortable working in silver as she does in gold with diamonds. Her silver work for Tiffany opens the realm of Tiffany Jewelry to those not among the elite or the group. Simple and elegant with delicate lines her shapes seem drawn from the natural world and often have a romantic focus. The Peretti heart was, for example a virtual instant winner with its organic form an soft smooth curves. Peretti, expands upon the universal appeal of this simple, elegant shape by translating it into a wide range of other jewelry including; rings, bracelets, earrings, new and combination pendants, even the newly popular lariat.
Peretti was born in Florence, Italy, the daughter of a well-to-do Roman family. Educated at Volbicela School in Rome, where she received a diploma in interior design. She moved to New York in the 1960s, where she began designing jewelry for a handful of noted designers, including Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo and Tiffany & Co. She designed the containers for Halston’s fragrance and cosmetic lines, and many of Tiffany’s best-selling jewelry pieces including the famous ‘teardrop’ necklaces and ‘thumb’ vases in white. Both are examples of her simple organic aesthetic. She is noted for creating understated and timeless pieces that have become favorites of stars such as Keira Knightley who is often seen wearing her Elsa Peretti Round Pendant. Since 1974, Peretti has been a featured designer for Tiffany & Co. She keeps her materials mostly in the realm of precious metals, gold and silver. Her designs are in the minimalist mode. When she joined the company , she told People magazine in an interview, “I design for the working girl … My objective is to design according to one’s financial possibilities.” At the time, her least costly design for Tiffany & Co. cost $33.
Peretti uses nature as inspiration for her jewelry designs, a theme that is clearly shown in her work with charms. But her most recognizable jewelry design is the open puffed heart. This asymmetrically hung charm is fashioned in both sterling silver and gold.
Two of her other famous designs are Diamonds by the Yard and Pearls by the Yard. Precious metal linked chains spaced with either small round diamonds set in bezels or pearls that are wire wrapped. Surprisingly, the most reasonably priced version of her Diamonds by the Yard was priced at $89 at her Tiffany debut in 1974.
“I hate that impeccable, perfectly perfect look, all matched and prearranged,” Elsa Peretti said. “Style is to be simple.” That’s why you’d often find the Italian model-turned-jewelry-designer in a plain T-shirt and pants or a man’s tailored suit, and also why her fluid and seamless sterling silver creations for Tiffany & Co.— apples, beans, bones, hearts, scorpions, shells, snakes, and teardrops—have remained among Tiffany’s best sellers since she began designing them 30 years ago. .Like to see more about Tiffany Jewelry …