Elsa Peretti
Elsa Peretti began her longstanding collaboration with Tiffany & Company in 1974. Elsa was born in Florence, Italy in 1940 and started as a fashion model which launched her into the world of luxury. Her life would consist of time in Italy and New York where she became a part of the party scene. In New York she transitioned into design creating pieces for brands such as Halston, Oscar de la Renta, and even Giorgio di Sant’ Angelo in around 1969 her first design was said to be a sterling silver bud vase that she worked with a silversmith in Spain to create into a necklace. This necklace was worn in a runway show and took off. Prior to Peretti when Europeans and high society thought of silver they thought of Native American silver pieces and her pieces were different. In 1972 with Bloomingdales she opened her own boutique. The in 1974 Tiffany and Company approached her to create jewelry with them, something tiffany had not sold in 25 years. The relationship was symbiotic and Peretti over the coarse of her career designed over 30 collections. The popularity of her pieces meant Tiffany could increase the pricing of them which they did several times. In 2012 Tiffany extended the contract to work with Tiffany for 20 more years.
