Elsa Peretti’s Long Lasting Legacy

While watching the new mini-series Halston, on Netflix, you may be dazzled by his erratic charm, groundbreaking designs and frankly wild lifestyle, but you also likely fell in love with Elsa Peretti, his long-time muse, co-worker, model, and friend.  Elsa Peretti, a name jewelry and culture enthusiasts know, but may not be widely popular amongst the masses is most recognizable through her jewelry designs for Tiffany & Co, such as the bean and open-heart necklaces as well as her bone cuffs and more. You likely already own her designs without even knowing it, check your jewelry boxes.

 Elsa Peretti was born in Florence, Italy on May 1st, 1940. In 1964 the long-legged raven-haired Italian began her long career as a fashion model in Europe and moved to New York City in 1968 under the advice of Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. Peretti was one of Halston’s Halstonettes, and became a top confidant for Halston by modeling, advising, assisting and creating. By 1971, she was designing jewelry for Halston, and her jewelry were often worn by his top clients such as Liza Minnelli. Her designs were such a hit with the ladies of New York City that Bloomingdales opened a dedicated Peretti boutique within their store in 1972 and by 1974 she signed a contract that would change her life and how society viewed silver jewelry forever.  

(Grace Jones)

Elsa Peretti signed a contract with Tiffany & Co. in 1974, to design silver jewelry for the famous jewelry house, it would be the first time in over 25 years that Tiffany & Co. would manufacture and sell silver jewelry. It was a smashing success for many reasons, the first being that her designs were organic, modern, and soft in comparison to the jewelry trends at that time. Secondly, since the material used for her jewelry was silver, it was far more affordable and brought a much larger audience to Tiffany’s.

(Liza Minelli)

(Tracee Ellis Ross)

(Margot Robbie)

(Sophia Loren)

(Elsa Peretti at Tiffany & Co. )

 The relationship between Elsa Peretti and Tiffany & Co. was a long and fruitful one for both parties. Elsa’s designs accounted for 10% of the net sales and she went on to design silverware for the company and created more than 30 collections for Tiffany’s. In 2012, Tiffany and Peretti extended their partnership for another 20 years, in which Tiffany & Co. paid Elsa Peretti $47 million upfront.

Often referred to as a revolutionary in design, and considered the most successful woman to ever work in the jewelry industry, Elsa Peretti passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 80 on May 1st, 2021, in Sant Martí Vell, Spain.