In an era of social upheaval, venerable Tiffany & Co. designer Elsa Peretti reimagined diamonds as jewelry that working women bought for themselves rather than receiving it from a suitor.
By the time the Italian-born Peretti (1940–2021) arrived in New York City, she’d already studied design in Rome, worked for a Milanese architect and taught Italian, French and skiing in Switzerland. She settled on interior design as her potential career path but then chose an altogether different route: modeling. Peretti modeled in Barcelona, Spain, and on the advice of Wilhelmina Cooper — a former model who’d by then founded Wilhelmina Modeling Agency — moved to Manhattan in 1968. When she relocated, Peretti was inspired to pick up jewelry design.
After modeling for designer Halston, the undisputed fashion king of Studio 54, Peretti became his close friend and collaborator, eventually creating jewelry and teardrop-shaped perfume bottles for him. By way of her association with Halston, Peretti took to the disco scene, flourishing in a social circle that included artist Andy Warhol and fashion designer Giorgio di Sant’Angelo.
It wasn’t long before models on di Sant’Angelo’s runway were donning two-inch sterling-silver vases, complete with a rose stem, suspended on leather thongs around their necks. The accessory was Peretti’s inaugural piece of jewelry — she designed it in 1969 after finding a flower vase at a flea market. It was hardly the only time that Peretti found motifs in nature and in organic forms. In the years that followed, her Bean pendant necklace, Starfish earrings and other sensuous accessories would draw on human emotion as well as the natural world around her. Each evocative and wholly versatile design is universally adored decades later, and each was made for a storied American jewelry house with which Peretti would be associated for nearly 50 years.
It was Halston who introduced Peretti to Tiffany & Co. She had her own boutique at Bloomingdale’s by 1972, and her partnership with the firm, which signed the venturesome and unorthodox designer to an exclusive contract in 1974, would cement her place in the lofty annals of jewelry legend. Peretti’s simple but sophisticated designs — the Teardrop collection, her minimalist Diamonds by the Yard necklace and Open Heart ring, to name a few — elevated sterling silver, previously considered unsuitable for fine jewelry, and created an enthusiastic young audience for Tiffany’s offerings. In 1977, Peretti’s designs earned the jewelry house more than $6 million. (In some years, her work has accounted for 10 percent of the company’s sales.)
In 2012, Peretti signed a 20-year, $47.3 million contract with Tiffany & Co., but she passed away in 2021, at age 80. Today, her designs are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the British Museum.
Find an exquisite collection of Elsa Peretti jewelry today on 1stDibs.
TIFFANY & CO. 1980 Elsa Peretti Large Open Heart Necklace 18Kt Gold & Diamonds
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Large heart pendant with diamonds designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. This is a beautiful large vintage heart necklace-pendant, created by Elsa Peretti for the jewelry house ...
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
TIFFANY & CO. Vintage Elsa Peretti Medium Open Heart Pendant In 18Kt Yellow Gold
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
A David's star necklace designed by Elsa Peretti (1940-2021) for Tiffany & Co. This is a nice open-heart pendant created in New York City at Tiffany & Co. by Elsa Peretti, back in ...
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
GIORGIO FACCHINI Sculptural Abstract Pendant In 18Kt Yellow Gold With Coral
By Giorgio Facchini
Located in Miami, FL
Orbital necklace designed by Giorgio Facchini (Pesaro 1947-). This is an sculptural pendant created by the Italian master jeweler, artist and sculptor, Giorgio Facchini. This is a o...
Coral, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Georg Jensen 1961 Nanna Ditzel Rare Necklace 18Kt Gold Vermeil Sterling Silver
By Georg Jensen and Nanna Ditzel
Located in Miami, FL
Geometric necklace designed by Nanna Ditzel (1923-2005) for Georg Jensen. Very rare geometric piece from the Scandinavian design, created in Denmark, by Nanna Ditzel back in the 1960's. Crafted with beautiful precision in solid .925 sterling silver with a 18 kt gold vermeil. This geometric sculptural necklace is composed by 15 semicircular curved elements attached with circled links and suited with a discrete push lock with a hinged safety figure 8 for extra security, Has a total weight of 273.5 grams, and an inside measure of 18 inches 45.75 Cm). The width measure is 30 mm (1.19 inches). Stamped, with the post 1945 Georg Jensen cartouche, the assay hallmark and signed, "GEORG JENSEN NJ 925S 129". Nanna Ditzel, born in 1923. Was a Danish designer graduated from the furniture department of the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. Has been studying under prof. Kaare Klint at the Royal Academy of Copenhagen. Nanna Ditzel is working with experimental and industrial design furniture, textiles, silver, faience and glass. Has experimented with the use of split-level living for indoors and outdoors. The ideas have been carried through in playgrounds, children libraries and showrooms. Freelance designer, she has a design office and showrooms in London. Nanna Ditzel started independent design office in 1946 together with Jorgen Ditzel. The co-operation lasted until the death of Jorge Ditzel in 1961. Nanna Ditzel created many designs for Georg Jensen, mostly jewelry although she also created some hollowware. The relationship between the couple and the Silversmith began when Nanna decided to start designing jewelry as something she could do at home while her children slept. Soon after, a jewelry competition sponsored by A. Michelsen arose, and her designs had won first prize. Later on, in 1954, Finn Juhl, who was developing the 50th anniversary exhibition, passed the design work off for the exhibition to the Ditzels. Five pieces of jewelry were created for this exhibit, which were very well received. Further jewelry designs were created, and many of these pieces would go on to win various awards and prizes. In 1968, Nanna Ditzel remarried to Kurt Heide and relocated to London where they continued to work in the realm of design, establishing their own company Nanna Ditzel Productions Ltd. In 1986, her second husband passed away, and she moved back to Denmark, continuing her work. In recent years, Ditzel has focused mainly on furniture design, such as the Trinidad chair in 1993, however this design has also led to the further refinement for her jewelry pieces such as the bracelet #389 in 1994. Ditzel has won many major awards during her long career and has had her work exhibited all over the world. She received the silver and gold medals at the Milan Tirennale (1954 and 1960), the Lunning Prize (with Jorgen Ditzel in 1954) and a gold medal at the International Furniture Design Competition in 1990, and the Thorvald Bindesboll Medal in 1999. She has also taken on the title of Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, Honorable Royal Designer ( 1996). From Georg Jensen Hollowware...
Gold, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver, Silver
BETTY COOKE 1980 Geometric Semi-Circles Necklace In 14Kt Yellow Gold
By Betty Cooke
Located in Miami, FL
A necklace designed by Betty Cock. (1924-2025) This is a fabulous a rare geometric necklace created by the artist-jeweler Betty Cooke. The sculptural necklace has been crafted with ...
Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
GUCCI 1970 Milano Secret-Box Ball Pendant In 18Kt Gold With 8.35 Ctw Rubies
By Gucci
Located in Miami, FL
A rare secret-box ball pendant designed by Gucci. This is a very rare vintage secret-box ball pendant created in Milano Italy by the house of Gucci, back in 1970. The box-pendant ha...
Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti 1970's Jade 18K Vintage Touchstone Pendant Necklace
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Comprised of cable link chain suspending an organic bean-shaped nephrite jade pendant Translucent medium mossy green with light swirling and black speckles Carved with concave edge a...
Jade, Gold, 18k Gold
Tiffany & Co. Paloma Picasso 18K Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace
By Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
Exquisitely crafted, this authentic Tiffany & Co. Paloma Picasso pendant necklace showcases the iconic designer's artistic vision in radiant 18K yellow gold. This sophisticated p...
Chalcedony, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
Elsa Peretti Tiffany & Co. 1980 18K Gold Vintage Eternal Circle Pedant Necklace
By Elsa Peretti
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as a black silk cord suspending a dimensional pendant Depicting a stylized teardrop form with tapered tail forming a circle Completed by high polish finish Terminates with l...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold 24mm Round Pendant Necklace
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold 24mm Round Pendant Necklace Metal: 18K Yellow Gold Chain: 16" Pendant: 24mm in diameter Weight: 6.90 grams Hallmark: ©Elsa Peretti TIFFANY&a...
18k Gold
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co Bean Necklace 18K Yellow Gold
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co Material 18K Yellow Gold Condition: Pre-Owned Bean Dimension: Length:14mm Width: 21.7mm Thickness:6.3mm Chain Length: 16'' Long Weight: 7.8grams ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Tiffany&Co. Elsa Peretti 18K 750 Solid Yellow Gold Bean Design Pendant Necklace
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Bean Pendant Necklace Metal Type: 18k Solid Yellow Gold Total Item Weight: 4.0 Grams Pendant Dimensions: Length: 15.0 mm x Width: 10.0 mm x H...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Jewelry historian Vanessa Cron combed 1stDibs and selected some dazzling pieces with timeless appeal.
With a wavy gold band and an unusually shaped lapis lazuli, this piece is delightfully different.
