Elsa Peretti’s Tiffany & Co. Necklace That Transcends Time
Elsa Peretti’s jewelry design career grew out of her travels as a model in the late 60s and early 70s, when she was a muse to Helmut Newton and Halston. In 1974, she joined Tiffany & Co., and her sculptural pieces quickly became signatures of the jewelry house. That same year, Peretti traveled throughout Jaipur, India, and the city’s glittering light inspired her to begin designing with mesh. Halston debuted a gold mesh bra and scarf designed by Peretti for Tiffany in his fall 1975 runway collection, which she produced on old machinery that had been used to make handbags in fine metal netting and chain mail in the early 20th century. The look was a major hit, and she continued to expand her mesh collection to include chain-mail earrings, woven sterling-silver evening bags, and a malleable gold mesh collar, which originally appeared in 1997. Free-form and fluid, it contours like fabric around the neck, with diamonds that resemble droplets of dew. Tiffany’s 2020 iteration is made of yellow gold, dotted with 66 hand-set diamonds and totaling 3.72 carats.
About The Author
Debbie Azar is the Co-Founder and President of Gemological Science International (GSI), one of the largest gemological organizations in the world, and a distinguished leader in the global diamond and jewelry industry. As an executive with extensive knowledge of the jewelry and gem lab industries, her entrepreneurial skills and vision have helped GSI achieve rapid and continuous growth worldwide, establishing 13 leading-edge gemological facilities on four continents. She currently serves on the boards of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, Responsible Jewellery Council, and Jewelers for Children, and is a member of the 24 Karat Club of New York. She has been featured in Forbes, Daily Mail, Good Morning America, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Businessweek, Fox Business, Fox5, CBS2, BOLDTV, Varney&Co, The Street, and NASDAQ, among others.
