Elsa Peretti for Tiffany Co. Desk Accessories
Italian, 1940-2021
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.
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Creator: Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co.
Vintage Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. Sterling Silver Padova Magnifying Glass
By Tiffany
Co., Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine silver magnifying glass.
In sterling silver.
Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
In the Padova pattern.
Marked to one side of the handle for Tiffany & Co. / © Elsa ...
Category
20th Century Italian Modern Elsa Peretti for Tiffany Co. Desk Accessories
Materials
Sterling Silver
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Elsa Peretti (1940 - 2021) was an Italian fashion model, designer and muse of fashion designer Halston during the 1970's and 1980's. Peretti designed jewelry for Halston's collections, in 1974 Halston introduced Peretti to the CEO of Tiffany's, Walter Hoving, she was signed immediately. By 1978 Peretti was Tiffany's leading designer. At the height of Peretti's popularity in the 1980's, she left New York and moved to an abandoned village she had bought in the 1970's near Barcelona, Spain. Between 2009 and 2011, Peretti designs represented 10% of Tiffany's profits. In 2012, Peretti signed a 20 year contract with Tiffany for 49 million dollars.
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Peretti's hardstone carving is all done by Chinese carvers in Hong Kong. The Chinese have long excelled in the carving of hardstones. Peretti's scent-bottle echoes the Chinese hardstone snuff-bottle, made to be held in the hand, exquisitely decorated and highly prized in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Weight: 65.3 Grams, (41.86 Dwt) or 326.5 carats.
Measurements: 64 mm by 19 mm by 44 mm (2.51 x 0.75 x 1.75 Inches).
Hallmarks: Acid stamped and etched with the maker's mark, the edition number and signed, "TIFFANY PERETTI© 751".
Elsa Peretti, was a very famous designer that joined Tiffany & Co in the 1974 and change the complete role of diamonds and color gemstones in fashion for the everyday wear and elevating the status of the sterling silver jewelry. mostly using unusual gemstones and materials. all her creations are as modern today as ever.
Literature: Advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, November 29, 1981. Tiffany & Co. Blue Book for years 1981-1982, illustrated
Collections: The British Museum, London, UK. The Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA), NYC, United States. The Corning Museum Of Glass, NYC, United States.
Exhibitions and Awards: 2009 1 May-2010 31 Jan, London, BM, Room 2, 'Elsa Peretti: Jewellery and objects for Tiffany & Co. Premio award "Credere Nella Ricerca", 2010.
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Elsa Peretti For Tiffany Co. desk accessories for sale on 1stDibs.
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. desk accessories are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. desk accessories, although silver editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original desk accessories by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. were created in the modern style in united states during the 1980s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider desk accessories by and Maitland Smith. Prices for Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. desk accessories can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $265 and can go as high as $1,836, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $800.
Creators Similar to Elsa Peretti for Tiffany Co.
Questions About Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
Co. Desk Accessories
- Who is Elsa Peretti for Tiffany?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertJune 30, 2023Elsa Peretti was a revolutionary jewelry designer and model who is known primarily for the work she did for Tiffany Co. In an era of social upheaval, she reimagined diamonds as jewelry that working women bought for themselves rather than receiving from a suitor. 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, such as the Teardrop collection and her minimalist Diamonds by the Yard necklace, helped establish a young audience for Tiffany’s offerings. Her visionary work elevated sterling silver, which was previously considered unsuitable for fine jewelry. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Tiffany Co. pieces.