The power of Tiffany & Co. jeweller Elsa Peretti endures

While it may have been Marilyn who first suggested that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, late Tiffany & Co. jeweller Elsa Peretti was the one who democratized the gemstone. Shortly after joining the brand in 1974, Peretti created Diamonds by the Yard. The idea was simple: Combine fine, fluid chains with flatly framed stones. The result? Diamond jewellery that was more wearable and (more importantly) accessible.

It was a historic shift in the jewellery industry — women realized they didn’t need to wait for a ring; they could buy the damn diamonds themselves.

In honour of that empowering message and the 50th anniversary of Peretti’s arrival at Tiffany & Co., the luxury house is celebrating the designer’s legacy by reissuing and reinterpreting some of her most iconic creations, including Diamonds by the Yard, the Bean design, the Bone Cuff and more. With around 30 pieces released in 2024 and more coming in 2025, the new collection is a testament to the timelessness of Peretti, who passed in 2021.

“Elsa Peretti was an emancipated woman who fought all her life for her independence and freedom and to give expression to her creativity,” says Stefano Palumbo, an executive director of the Elsa Peretti Family Office and Peretti’s closest collaborator for 20 years. “This mentality took shape in her jewellery, which was so innovative that even five decades later it constitutes the last great innovation in the history of contemporary jewellery design.”

But before she was injecting her feminist values into jewellery statements, Peretti was a bit of a nomad. She was born in Florence, Italy; was educated in Rome and Switzerland; and modelled in New York. And as fashion folklore goes, she quickly became besties with the likes of Liza Minelli and designer Halston.

While her friends were already legends and her parties have now become legendary (Peretti reportedly lived on a steady diet of Champagne, caviar and cocaine and once set fire to a fur coat in a fit of rage), it was in the midst of this chaos that she started making jewellery. American fashion designer Giorgio di Sant’Angelo used a few of her accessories in a runway show in 1969, which caught Tiffany’s attention, and by September 24, 1974, there were lineups around Fifth Avenue for her first Tiffany collection, which sold out later that same day.

“I believe that on that day at Tiffany, Elsa changed history,” says Palumbo. “It gave a message that every woman understood immediately — one of femininity and comfort.”

It was, of course, at Tiffany that Peretti established her aesthetic: clean, organic and abstract and inspired by nature, with pieces that rely on form as opposed to frills to make an impact. She brought silver into the luxury landscape and created designs that cultivated a cultlike status.

But like the icon Peretti is, her influence can’t be contained in a little blue box. You see, Peretti wasn’t just a designer; she was a way of life. She developed a homeware collection, elevating everyday objects into works of art. In 1999, Tiffany established the Elsa Peretti Professorship in Jewelry Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. And in 2000, Peretti launched The Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation, an organization named after her father that is committed to everything from environmental conservation to medical research and funding arts and culture.

With all that being said, still to this day, Peretti’s jewellery represents about 10 per cent of Tiffany’s global sales — a number that’s sure to increase with the release of the special anniversary collection, which is making its debut this year and next. Consider the new offering an ode to the ’70s — one that’s equal parts new and nostalgic. Just like their originator, the pieces are bold and unapologetic. Their presence is a statement — an exclamation mark at the end of the proverbial sentence that never crosses the line into being overpowering.

Take the Fancy Color rings, which are unique to the 50th Anniversary collection. The thick 18-karat-gold bands and vibrancy of the amethyst, blue topaz and citrine are a declaration to be sure, but the fluid form and abstract setting provide depth and detail.

There is also a clear path — in both name and inspiration — back to the Tiffany archives, as Peretti worked on a few pieces before she passed. Styles like the Bone and Split rings and the Diamond on Silk necklace have references to iconic Peretti emblems. And because it’s Tiffany after all, there is a heavy wattage of sparkle. Mesh designs are adorned with tanzanites, rubellites, diamonds and emeralds. The Open Heart, Starfish, Bean, Scorpion and Amapola designs are paved in pavé. Even the Diamonds by the Yard necklaces and earrings have gotten more, er, diamonds.

“Elsa demanded a lot of herself and was always driven by an obsessive and painful quest for perfection that often led her to repeat ‘Aesthetics kill me,’” shares Palumbo. “But I can confirm with certainty that Elsa would have been pleased with this celebration of her 50 years with Tiffany. This is the best way to remember her and her legacy.”

Because what are diamonds, after all, if not forever?