The Stories Behind Elsa Peretti's Most Iconic Designs

Few in the world of jewellery can claim to have had as much impact as the great Elsa Peretti. Throughout her storied life, she was a friend and confidant to the fashion greats, muse to mavericks and a creative mind without parallel.

In her near half-century with Tiffany & Co., Peretti revolutionised the jewellery industry. She has been credited with the revival of sterling silver in the high-end jewellery scene and for bringing the brilliance of diamonds into everyday wear. Even today, her simple, sculptural designs still adorn the wrists, napes and hands of celebrities, princesses and working people alike.

There’s no doubt that this model turned design maven lived a charmed, fascinating life. And it’s from her worldly experiences and personal stories that many of her beloved designs were born.

Here’s a closer look at the stories and inspiration behind some of Elsa Peretti’s most iconic, enduring designs.

Bottle Pendant

Bottle Jug Pendant in Sterling Silver — Image from Tiffany & Co.

One of her earliest designs, and among the first of her collections with Tiffany & Co., the iconic Bottle Pendants have become synonymous with Elsa Peretti’s career. Their organic form, fluid, unbroken lines and the tease of a concealed, internal substance all speak to Peretti’s fascination with both minimalist practicality and the natural world.

According to Peretti, the collection was inspired by her travels to Portofino in the 1960s. She noted that many of the young women here carried gardenia flowers with them, some in small vases tied to their necks.

Charmed by this local custom, Peretti created a functional, beautiful piece that went on to debut at a fashion show in Los Angeles by Giorgio Sant’Angelo. She completed her homage to Portofino by placing a tiny rose in the pendant for the show.

This simple, elegant piece was inspired by this charming custom and can be used to hold a flower. Today, this collection includes jade, lapis and gold variations of the iconic Bottle Jug Pendant, as well as open and closed variants of the Bottle Pendant.

Bone Cuff

The eye-catching and unmistakable Bone Cuff was also released in the early years of Peretti’s partnership with Tiffany & Co.

This stand-out design was inspired by her memorable — if slightly macabre — childhood encounters with human bones. As a young girl, Peretti frequently visited a 17th Century Capuchin church, which contained rooms adorned with skeletal remains.

Fascinated, the young Elsa would invariably take a bone with her when she left the church and would be made to return it in shame when she was caught by her mother.

When she designed the Bone Cuff collection, Peretti sought to capture the strength and sensuality of the wrist bones, all while subverting the traditional Western image of femininity. This collection includes small and large, silver, gold and copper designs as well as special colour-finished and gem-set releases.

Diamonds by the Yard

Like many of her famous designs, Peretti’s Diamonds by the Yard collection represents her long-standing, close relationship with Roy Halston Frowick.

Halston himself is credited with dubbing the collection ‘Diamonds by the Yard’ and he went on to incorporate the designs into a number of looks.

The impetus for this design came from the changing social environment of the 1970s. Tiffany & Co. tasked Peretti with designing an affordable diamond piece that could capitalise on the growing demand for high-end, accessible jewellery.

And by focussing on small, high-quality diamonds and minimalist designs, Peretti did just that. As a result of Peretti’s pioneering designs, the diamond broke free from its niche as a special occasion piece and entered the everyday.

Infinitely wearable, elegant and understated, this simple diamond-adorned chain and its many variants can be worn in a plethora of ways and complement a range of styles.

Equestrian Belt

The Equestrian Belt was another of Peretti’s early designs made for Halston and was inspired by her travels as a model and fashionista.

This particular item has a charmingly prosaic origin, inspired by a leather girth strap designed for a horse, that Peretti came across in Mexico. She brought one of these simple, practical items back with her to New York City, and used it as a model for the first buckle she would design for Halston.

Shortly after signing on with Tiffany & Co., Peretti expanded this design to include jewellery pieces and some of her other iconic designs, such as the Open Heart.

Simple, sturdy and charmingly down to earth, the Equestrian Belt remains one of Peretti’s most recognisable design collections today.

Open Heart Pendant

The Open Heart is one of the crowning jewels of Peretti’s career with Tiffany & Co. As the most popular design in her entire collection, the Open Heart helped to usher in the era of contemporary sterling silver jewellery.

Ever a lover of fine art, Peretti recounted how this piece was inspired by a sculpture by Henry Moore. With her keen eye, Peretti noticed the asymmetrical, fluid shape of a heart, created by a void in the sculpture. A celebration of the spirit of love, the Open Heart is at once sculpted and organic, flawless and imperfect.

Inspired by the beauty of nature, the simple elegance in the everyday and the imperfect asymmetry of the human form, Peretti’s designs spoke directly to the masses. She has moved generations of designers, fashionistas and everyday people with her work, drawn from the stories of her life and her myriad experiences across the globe.

Elsa Peretti is truly a giant of the modern fashion world. Her impact on the industry is difficult to overstate, and will no doubt reverberate for many years to come.

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