Remembering Iconic Jewelry Designer Elsa Peretti
The former model and long-time jewelry designer at Tiffany & Co. passed away on Thursday night at the age of 80.
On Thursday, the family of Elsa Peretti announced that she has died of natural causes. The ex-model and jewelry designer became famous worldwide for her timeless collections, often inspired by nature.
Peretti was born in Florence, Italy, but it was only when she moved to Barcelona in the 1960s and soon after to New York that she began to work as a model for Halston and other important designers of art and fashion. There, she started making jewelry, using the designers she worked for to showcase her pieces. Her friendship with Halston was particularly beneficial, as he was the one who introduced her to the people at Tiffany & Co. in 1974.
A masterful artisan, Peretti's work marked a revolution in jewelry design. In the past nearly 50 years, the designer created some of the most innovative designs in the world. She explored nature with the insight of a scientist and the vision of a sculptor.
What set her work apart from the crowd was how modern they were. The Bone Cuff bracelet for Tiffany & Co., bean designs, and open heart pendants are among her most recognizable works.
Peretti believed that caring for and protecting our planet is a duty for all of humanity. She once said, "We could do much better. I am trying to do something good." As president and founder of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation dedicated to her father's memory, the jewelry icon was committed to supporting the environment, social welfare, human rights, as well as the preservation of the arts and culture.
