Even before Ella Gafter founded her namesake jewelry collection in 1982, she was a formidable presence in the jewelry industry.
As a Rome-based gem dealer, Gafter sold pearls and precious stones to retailers and jewelers but was often dissatisfied with how they made use of the rare materials she worked so hard to source. Instead of grousing, she decided to design jewels that would do them justice, focusing primarily on pearls — akoya, Tahitian and South Sea. She explains her fascination with the lustrous marine treasures simply: “Every woman looks better with pearls than without.”
Her daughter Talila Gafter, then an undergrad at Harvard, was her ally in getting the project off the ground. Together, they made the rounds to stores with Ella’s first efforts. “We had a little pouch with eight pieces and we sold everything,” Talila tells 1stDibs. After graduation, she “was involved one hundred percent” in building the company, whose pieces are handmade by master jewelers in Naples.
The designer insists that her unwavering focus is the source of her success. “There’s no compromising for me,” she says. She’s been known to replace the pearls in a single piece time after time until she’s certain she’s achieved her ideal result. “A pearl you have to respect,” she explains. “You have to put it where it wants to sit.”
Ella describes the collaboration with her daughter as a “partnership,” with each having her own domain. “I’m all fantasy; Talila is the concrete one,” she says. The company is now based in New York City, with Talila as its president while Ella is firmly at the helm of creative decisions. “I’ve never made a design suggestion to Ella,” says Talila. “Nobody does.”
That forbearance has been earned, says Talila. “I admire that Ella doesn’t take no for an answer, her tenacity, her extraordinary ambition. She believes as long as there is life, there is a lot of beauty to create. She’s a force of nature.”
Find Ella Gafter earrings, rings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
Gemini Zodiac Cocktail Ring South Sea Pearl Diamonds Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
The Gemini zodiac ring features a South Sea pearl of 15mm diameter embraced by a male and a female figure, both sculpted in detail. The pearl is untreated. It displays fine nacre and...
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Gemini Zodiac Cocktail Ring Tahitian Pearl Diamonds Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
The zodiac Gemini ring features a Tahitian pearl of 15mm diameter embraced by a male and a female figure, both sculpted in detail. The pearl is untreated. ...
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Virgo Zodiac Cocktail Ring South Sea Pearl Diamonds Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
The Virgo zodiac ring features a South Sea pearl of 15.5mm diameter resting on the knees of a female figure sculpted in detail. The pearl is untreated. It displays fine nacre and its...
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Aquarius Zodiac Cocktail Ring South Sea Pearl Diamonds Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
The Aquarius zodiac ring features a South Sea pearl of 13x15mm serving as a jug of water on the shoulder of a detailed male figure. The pearl is untreated. It displays fine nacre and...
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Libra Zodiac Cocktail Ring Diamonds South Sea pearls Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
The Libra zodiac cocktail ring features two finely matched pearls of 15.5mm diameter. The pearls are untreated. They both display a splendid nacre and their natural color and luster ...
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Aquarius Zodiac Cocktail Ring South Sea Pearl Diamonds Design by Ella Gafter
By Ella Gafter
Located in New York, NY
This Aquarius zodiac ring features a South Sea pearl of 13.5/14mm diameter serving as a jug of water. The pearl is untreated. It displays fine nacre and its natural color and luster ...
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
18K White Gold Cocktail Ring with Golden South Sea Pearl and Diamonds
Located in Monte Carlo, MC
A striking cocktail ring, offered by Clairs-A, featuring a golden South Sea pearl of approximately 12 mm, gracefully nested in a flower-like setting. The smooth, lustrous surface of the pearl contrasts beautifully with the pavé-set white diamonds that flow along the curved shoulders of the ring, creating an elegant play between light and form. The design is both timeless and contemporary, emphasizing sculptural balance and refined craftsmanship. Set with approximately 2.35 carats of white diamonds, this ring is crafted in 18-karat white gold and bears a French hallmark stamp...
South Sea Pearl, Pearl, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
18K White Gold Cosmic Design White Pearl Gemini Beatrice Barzaghi Cocktail Ring
By Beatrice Barzaghi Milano
Located in Milan, IT
18K White Gold Cosmic Design White Pearl Gemini Beatrice Barzaghi Cocktail Ring. Its cosmic lines emit vibrations that connect us to our divine essence, to our ultimate purpose. The Gemini cocktail ring is made of 18 karat white gold and features a white round pearl, its diameter measures around 6.5 mm. It is CAD designed by Italian designer and gemologist (GIA G.G.) Beatrice Barzaghi, then 3D printed, fused in gold, set and polished by hand by the best Italian goldsmiths. The ring’s weight is about 8.3 g. The maximum distance between the external curves of the head of the ring measures 30 mm. The size of the ring is 54.5-55 EU, 6 3/4-7 US. The ring may be resized; in case of a wide variation it would be better to be redesigned in a different scale to get the same aesthetic impact. The two equal and opposite elements represent the Gemini constellation. With its ethereal lines this ring symbolizes the reaching of Enlightenment; the fulfilment of the gifts we were born with. The Gemini ring...
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Cultured Tahitian Pearl & Round Brilliant Diamond Cocktail Ring in 14 Karat Gold
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Ring size: 10 Introducing a stunning Cultured Tahitian Pearl & Diamond cocktail ring, a true embodiment of elegance and sophistication. Crafted in 14-karat yellow & white go...
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
18 Karat Gold 38.78 Carats Pearl and Diamond Cocktail Ring
By Gems Paradise
Located in Jaipur, IN
A magnificent 38.78-carat pearl crowns this 18 Karat Gold cocktail ring, embodying a timeless blend of elegance and grandeur. Perfectly spherical and luminous, the pearl radiates nat...
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
Utopia 18kt. White Gold Akoya Cultured Pearl Cocktail Ring
Located in Braintree, GB
Utopia 18kt. white gold Akoya cultured pearl cocktail ring. Designer: Utopia Made in Italy, after 2000 Hallmarked with 750 mark and Brand's logo and Italian hallmarks. It was Octobe...
18k Gold, White Gold
Pearl and Diamond 18 Carat White Gold Crossover Cocktail Ring
Located in London, GB
It doesn't get any more classic than the elegant and sophisticated combination of diamonds and pearls! This charming cocktail ring, finely crafted from high polish 18 carat white gol...
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
