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 Elsa Peretti 18K Yellow Gold Vintage Bangle
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Tiffany and Co set designed by Elsa Peretti in 18K yellow gold featuring a sculptural wave bangle bracelet with flowing organic form. The bangle weighs 19.86 grams with seaml...
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
TIFFANY & CO. 1977 By Elsa Peretti Flying Saucer Bangle Bracelet In 18Kt Yellow
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Bangle designed by Elsa Peretti (1940-2021) for Tiffany & Co. This is a gorgeous and very rare bangle bracelet created in New York City by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. back in 197...
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Five Row Wave Bracelet for Tiffany & Co.
By Elsa Peretti
Located in New Hope, PA
Elsa Peretti designed this fluid Five Row Wave bracelet for Tiffany & Co using 18 karat gold and a design that brings to mind ocean waves, at the start of her partnership with Ti...
18k Gold
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Diamonds by the Yard Bracelet
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
An authentic Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti “Diamonds by the Yard” bracelet crafted in solid 18K yellow gold, hallmarked 750, Tiffany & Co., Peretti, and Spain. This elegant minimalist d...
Diamond, 18k Gold
$11,166Sale Price|20% Off
W 0.31 in L 2.76 in
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Aegean 18K Yellow Gold Toggle Link Bracelet
By Elsa Peretti
Located in Morris Plains, NJ
A bold and iconic Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Aegean Toggle Bracelet, crafted in rich 18K yellow gold. This highly collectible designer piece exemplifies Peretti’s signature s...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Double Open Heart Bangle Bracelet
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Double Open Heart Bangle Bracelet Metal: 18K Gold Weight: 11.0 grams Size: Medium Hallmark: "TIFFANY & CO. ©PERETTI 750 SPAIN" Conditio...
18k Gold
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Sculptural Bangle, 18k Yellow Gold
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Greenwich, CT
A modernist sculptural bangle by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., crafted in 18k yellow gold. True to Peretti's organic design language, the bangle is formed as a smooth, freeform wav...
18k Gold
$3,495
W 0.69 in L 7.5 in
Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti Wave 3 Row Bangle Bracelet, 18k Yellow Gold, 7.5 Inch
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in McLeansville, NC
Circumference: 7.5 inches Width: 11/16 in. Weight: 7.3 dwts. / 11.4 grams Stamps "Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti 750" w/ box SKU: B1340 A Couple Of Things to Note: * This is a vi...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$45,950
W 2.01 in L 7 in
Tiffany & Co 1977 Elsa Peretti Escorpio Cuff Bracelet In 18Kt Gold And Gemstones
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Miami, FL
Abstract Cuff Bracelet designed by Elsa Peretti (1940-2021) for Tiffany & Co. Exceptionally rare sculptural piece, created in New York city by Elsa Peretti for the Tiffany Studios, ...
Coral, Jade, Black Jade, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Wave Five-Row Wire Bangle Bracelet 18K Yellow Gold
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
This authentic Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Wave five-row bangle bracelet is a breathtaking example of one of the most celebrated and iconic designs in the history of fine jewelry, featuring the legendary Wave collection's signature fluid, undulating form that has captivated collectors and jewelry lovers worldwide since its creation. The bracelet consists of five slim, gently curved bands of warm 18 karat yellow gold that flow and weave alongside one another in a graceful, organic arrangement that evokes the effortless movement of a wave on water. Each individual band curves and undulates with a beautifully fluid quality, and together the five bands create a wide, sculptural composition on the wrist that is simultaneously bold and delicate, substantial and airy. The polished yellow gold surface of each band catches light with a warm, glowing luminosity that shifts and moves beautifully as the bracelet drapes naturally on the wrist. The genius of Elsa Peretti's design lies in its perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication — the Wave bangle achieves an extraordinary visual impact through pure form alone, with no gemstones or ornamentation required to make it one of the most recognizable and coveted designs in the Tiffany archive. The five-row configuration gives the bracelet a generous, layered presence on the wrist that feels both modern and timelessly elegant. The warm 18 karat yellow gold construction speaks to the exceptional quality and enduring value of this iconic piece. Rare, iconic, and deeply collectible, this Elsa Peretti Wave bangle...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
