Elsa Peretti: the most influential designer of Tiffany & Co.

Elsa Peretti's designs revolutionized the jewelry world, thanks to her vision and way of creating unique jewelry, characterized by an organic aesthetic never seen before.

Elsa Peretti set the standard when she began working with Tiffany & Co, in 1974, together with artisans in search of creating gold and silver jewelry that would be comfortable to wear, beautiful to look at and incredible to touch, with a sculptural and curvaceous style.

Want to know more about famed jewelry designer Elsa Peretti and her work at Tiffany & Co? Read on to be captivated by her unparalleled creative career in the world of fashion and fine jewelry.

Who is Elsa Peretti?

Elsa Peretti was born in Florence, Italy in 1949 and died recently in 2021. In 1969 she began her work as a model in New York and Barcelona, where she stood out for being tall, slender and elegant. However, she never felt totally comfortable, so in 1971 Peretti began designing jewelry for Halston.

From then on, some of her designs were instantly successful, when they were worn in the Giorgio di Sant'Angelo fashion show and during collaborations with her close friend Halston.

In 1974 she began her work at Tiffany & Co, whose contract was called by Elsa herself as "a happy marriage", as it catapulted her to recognition as an iconic figure in jewelry design. She became Tiffany's chief designer and designed more than thirty collections, including Bottle, Open Heart and her famous Bone bracelets.

Elsa Peretti and Tiffany & Co.

Elsa Peretti's arrival at Tiffany & Co marked a milestone in the history of jewelry design - her first collection sold out on the very day of its premiere!

One of the main metals in her designs was silver. He injected a novel, avant-garde feel to jewelry with the use of this metal and even brought it to luxury metal status in the blink of an eye. This work connected Tiffany with a younger audience for its fresh and unique designs.

Peretti's designs had an organic aesthetic that, in the firm's own words, was "bold, powerful, yet feminine and unpretentious."" For this great designer, the importance of touch was key in the jewelry she created: "Touch is important: I am often inspired by tactile things," Peretti said.

Elsa Peretti's most outstanding designs

As mentioned above, the aesthetics of the jewelry that Peretti designed were characterized by being organic and unique, with great relevance of the sense of touch, even on the same level as that of sight.

Peretti's designs are sensual and invite to be touched. As we will see in her main creations, the inspiration comes from found objects, bones, beans or tears. They are jewelry that arouse emotion and ask to be lived and loved, not admired from a distance.

"The idea is to make beautiful things that really matter to them," expressed Peretti. And with this goal in mind, Elsa created collections that marked a before and after in the jewelry world.

Diamond by the Yard

"Diamond by the Yard" is one of Elsa Peretti's most recognized collections made at Tiffany & Co. It is a combination of chains with bezel-set gems, which gives the impression that the diamonds float in a gold or silver frame.

It is designed with a minimalist aesthetic of simple details for everyday wear, but also expresses great sophistication and versatility.

Bean

It is a design inspired by the shape of a bean. "I make jewelry for myself, real things with a certain idea behind them" stated Peretti, something that is seen in these pieces, which could represent the beginning of all things, the seed of life. They are available with or without pave diamonds.

Bone Cuff Series

A collection inspired by the bone of the wrist and featuring an organic design in which precious metals appear soft and supple. It is a bracelet with the ergonomic ability to melt on the wrist.

Snake

This piece looks sensual, sculptural, timeless, elegant and unique. Peretti's close associates say that it was inspired by a rattlesnake tail that was given to him for good luck.

At one end of the piece is the snake's head, which acts as a clasp and allows the necklace to be worn at different lengths.

Mesh

This is a mesh weaving technique that Peretti worked on with Samuel Beizer, founding chairman of FIT's jewelry design department. With this technique he created pieces that gave movement and fluidity to each design.

Open Heart

Open Heart is one of Tiffany's best-selling and most recognizable pieces, made famous in a Giorgio di Sant' Angelo fashion show, thanks to its elegant and simple design.

Tiffany & Co remembers the work of Elsa Peretti

Today, Tiffany & Co continues to recognize the wonderful work of Elsa Peretti whose creations are timeless. Her organic, sensual and sculptural designs remain at the forefront and are as modern as ever.

In 2022, one year after Elsa Peretti's death, Tiffany & Co is once again incorporating some of Peretti's designs into its collections.

"The reintroduction of Peretti's Bean designs allows us to honor her creative influence by using the same materials and shapes seen throughout her design vocabulary to expand one of her most celebrated collections" expressed Alexandre Arnault, Executive Vice President, Product and Communications, Tiffany & Co.

Over the years, Tiffany & Co has reinvented the bean motif, from pendants and handbags to earrings, bracelets and objects. In the latest 2022 collection, timeless, organic beauty is combined with the simple elegance of gold thread.

Essential materials such as hand-carved green jade, Japanese lacquer and silk are also used. This reintroduction of Elsa Peretti's legacy is testament to her influence as one of the industry's most powerful creative forces.

Tiffany & Co eyewear is no slouch.

Tiffany & Co eyewear designs are no slouch! They offer simplicity and freshness and at the same time glamour and sophistication with innovative designs.

Since its beginnings, Tiffany & Co became a jewelry and goldsmith company recognized worldwide, thanks to its wonderful designs. Elsa Peretti's passing signified a milestone of unique aesthetics and style in Tiffany's line of timeless designs.

The eyewear designs remain in this aesthetic line, characterized by elegance and simplicity. The brand has unique designs of sunglasses and prescription glasses, full of details to look spectacularly good.

In Optica Bassol we like to be part of the latest trends, so we offer the most outstanding glasses from the catalog of Tiffany & Co. Look at the beautiful Tiffany Prescription Glasses and the variety in Tiffany Sunglasses in our catalog, where you can choose the design you like the most.

3 glamorous Tiffany & Co glasses available at Optica Bassol

Follow the elegant, simple and striking trend of Elsa Peretti combining jewelry with any of these glasses:

• Tiffany & Co. TF4201 83549T 50From the new 2024 collection, this is a red model with lilac tinted lenses. It is a glamorous design with a round and wide frame that highlights the face and its features. With this design you will not go unnoticed anywhere.

• Tiffany & Co. TF4193B 8001T3 55From the latest 2024 collection, with a butterfly design, modern and rich in details, with these glasses you will look perfect and fashionable.

• Tiffany & Co. TF1119TD 6046 54Tiffany & Co. TF1119TD 6046 54: another from the 2024 collection. They are a design of prescription glasses for women, made in titanium, round frame and with beautiful details in their temples. They have an elegant, serious and at the same time modern style.

Carry the legacy of Elsa Peretti in your glasses with Bassol Optics.

Although Elsa Peretti did not design glasses, her influence on the style and design of accessories offered by Tiffany & Co today is undeniable. Therefore, we invite you to take a look at our online catalog to see some of the most outstanding eyewear designs of this brand.

You can make your purchase online and receive your order at home, as we ship to all parts of the world. Rates depend on the shipping zone and, in case you are in the peninsula (Spain), shipping is free. Check the shipping and delivery information to complete your purchase.

We recommend you to take a look at our return and exchange policies before making your purchase. If for any reason you want to return the product received, you have 14 days from the delivery date to cancel your purchase.

If you prefer to measure the models before buying them, go to any of our branches and see the Tiffany glasses available. You have the possibility to make an appointment for a personalized attention and, in addition, you will receive a free ophthalmologic exam.

Count on Óptica Bassol to show off Tiffany & Co. glasses, one of the most luxurious and desired brands today.