Sexy Shapes
With sinuous beans, bones and teardrops, Elsa Peretti transformed fine jewelry into wearable sculpture
By James Scully
Spring 2005 Style & Design
When Elsa Peretti arrived in New York City from Italy in 1966, she broke
the mold of conventional jewelry making. Instead of producing the chunky
plastic and gold jewelry so prevalent at the time, she introduced
sensuality to jewelry design with sculpted, sterling-silver forms that
begged to be touched. Four decades later, her innovative creations,
which are sold exclusively at Tiffany stores around the world, are
instantly recognizable.
Born in Florence and educated in Rome with a degree in interior design,
Peretti originally made her living as a French teacher and ski
instructor. On a lark she moved to New York City to pursue a modeling
career. While working for designers like Oscar de la Renta and Giorgio
di Sant'Angelo, Peretti began making jewelry and persuaded them to use
her pieces in their shows. By 1969 she had her own business, and within
two years she was a world-renowned jeweler with a Coty award under her
trademark heart-shaped belt. Her liquid shapes and organic forms eventually caught the attention of
Halston, for whom Peretti would become a muse, showcasing her now famous
equestrian belt buckles, bone cuffs and bean-shaped pendants to
correspond with his minimalist American sportswear.
In 1974 Peretti joined Tiffany & Co., where she created the iconic
teardrop and starfish pendants, the Tiffany Open Heart and Diamonds by
the Yard—which continues as one of Tiffany's all-time best sellers. In
tribute to their 30-year partnership, the jeweler has designated the
Elsa Peretti case at its Fifth Avenue store a Tiffany landmark.
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His life and death recalled in images
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