A 'Diamonds by the Yard' pendant necklace, by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
£2,500
Auction: 1 July 2021 at 15:00 BST
Description
Collet-set with a brilliant-cut diamond, to a fine 18ct gold cable-link chain, signed Peretti, Tiffany & Co., numbered, UK hallmark
Dimensions
Length: 42.5cm
Footnote
Elsa Peretti (1940-2021) was an iconic jewellery designer and model, best known for her work for Tiffany & Co.
Peretti first rose to fame as a fashion model, most notably for the designer Halston, in New York in the 1970s. It was during her years as a model that Peretti began designing jewellery. She created pieces for herself at first, then expanded to design for others. In 1974, she debuted her first collection for Tiffany & Co. and became an instant sensation. Peretti’s minimalist, biomorphic designs were inspired by simple, natural things: bones, beans, hearts, and snakes. In her hands, simple became extraordinary.
Not just a gorgeous model and a talented designer, Peretti was a clever businesswoman who retained ownership of her designs. Peretti was also a pioneer in jewellery materials — her designs weren’t necessarily expensive, but, the affordable prices never detracted from their beauty or desirability.
Her legacy lives on in the pieces that thousands of women have collected over the years as well as in the collections of prestigious museums, including the MOMA and the British Museum.