Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Italian, 1940-2021
In an era of social upheaval, venerable Tiffany & Co. designer Elsa Peretti reimagined diamonds as jewelry that working women bought for themselves rather than receiving it from a suitor.
By the time the Italian-born Peretti (1940–2021) arrived in New York City, she’d already studied design in Rome, worked for a Milanese architect and taught Italian, French and skiing in Switzerland. She settled on interior design as her potential career path but then chose an altogether different route: modeling. Peretti modeled in Barcelona, Spain, and on the advice of Wilhelmina Cooper — a former model who’d by then founded Wilhelmina Modeling Agency — moved to Manhattan in 1968. When she relocated, Peretti was inspired to pick up jewelry design.
After modeling for designer Halston, the undisputed fashion king of Studio 54, Peretti became his close friend and collaborator, eventually creating jewelry and teardrop-shaped perfume bottles for him. By way of her association with Halston, Peretti took to the disco scene, flourishing in a social circle that included artist Andy Warhol and fashion designer Giorgio di Sant’Angelo.
It wasn’t long before models on di Sant’Angelo’s runway were donning two-inch sterling-silver vases, complete with a rose stem, suspended on leather thongs around their necks. The accessory was Peretti’s inaugural piece of jewelry — she designed it in 1969 after finding a flower vase at a flea market. It was hardly the only time that Peretti found motifs in nature and in organic forms. In the years that followed, her Bean pendant necklace, Starfish earrings and other sensuous accessories would draw on human emotion as well as the natural world around her. Each evocative and wholly versatile design is universally adored decades later, and each was made for a storied American jewelry house with which Peretti would be associated for nearly 50 years.
It was Halston who introduced Peretti to Tiffany & Co. She had her own boutique at Bloomingdale’s by 1972, and her partnership with the firm, which signed the venturesome and unorthodox designer to an exclusive contract in 1974, would cement her place in the lofty annals of jewelry legend. Peretti’s simple but sophisticated designs — the Teardrop collection, her minimalist Diamonds by the Yard necklace and Open Heart ring, to name a few — elevated sterling silver, previously considered unsuitable for fine jewelry, and created an enthusiastic young audience for Tiffany’s offerings. In 1977, Peretti’s designs earned the jewelry house more than $6 million. (In some years, her work has accounted for 10 percent of the company’s sales.)
In 2012, Peretti signed a 20-year, $47.3 million contract with Tiffany & Co., but she passed away in 2021, at age 80. Today, her designs are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the British Museum.
Find an exquisite collection of Elsa Peretti jewelry today on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany and Co Thumbprint Bowl Contemporary Modern Italy
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A gorgeous hand blown glass bowl designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. This piece, known as the “Thumbprint Bowl”, features a lovely classic design with a sloped side that fits ...
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20th Century Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Glass
Heart Form Glass & Terra Cotta Trinket Boxes by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
This pair of Heart form Trinket Containers are designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany and Co., originating from the United States during the latter half of the 20th Century. One formed...
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20th Century American Modern Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
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Crystel "Bone" Series Bowl Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Company
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Doraville, GA
A rare hand crafted crystel footed bowl from the "Bone" series designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Company in the mid 1980's.
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1980s Belgian Minimalist Vintage Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
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Pink Iridescent Glass Bowl by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Signed, Italy 1980s
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous Mid-Century decorative crystal glass bowl designed by Elsa Peretti for Tyffany & co. in Italy in the 1980s.
This lovely bowl is made in a stunning iridescent crystal with ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Materials
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Mid-Century Modern Translucent Glass Decorative Dish by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
Part of Elsa Peretti iconic Thumbprint collection for Tiffany & Co, this translucent glass decorative dish/ ash tray was designed in 1978, and executed shortly thereafter. Peretti, a...
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1980s American Modern Vintage Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Materials
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Crystel "Bone" Series Fish Bowl Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Company
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Doraville, GA
A two piece hand crafted crystel fish bowl and stand from the "Bone" series designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Company in the mid 1980's.
Elsa Peretti (1940 - 2021) was an Ita...
Category
1980s Belgian Minimalist Vintage Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal
Clear Crystal Tumb Print Bowl Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany
By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
Located in Doraville, GA
A beautiful clear crystel tumb print bowl designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Company. The sticker is missing, but the bowl was probably manufactured by Archimede Seguso and made ...
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Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Blown Glass
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Exceptional piece of modern art, designed at the Tiffany Studios by Elsa Peretti. This rare perfume-scent bottle was made in a limited edition of only 1000 pieces, back in the 1981. It was carefully carved in Hong Kong from a single piece of translucent rock quartz with curved in shape to echo an sculptural bean, with separate stopper lid.
ELSA PERETTI DESIGN: the scent bottle
Manufacturing Process
This bottle was designed and made in 1981 to hold an eighth of an ounce of Elsa Peretti's perfume, which she had worked on for four years. One thousand examples were carved and numbered (this is no. 751) in conjunction with the launch of the perfume.
Peretti's hardstone carving is all done by Chinese carvers in Hong Kong. The Chinese have long excelled in the carving of hardstones. Peretti's scent-bottle echoes the Chinese hardstone snuff-bottle, made to be held in the hand, exquisitely decorated and highly prized in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Weight: 65.3 Grams, (41.86 Dwt) or 326.5 carats.
Measurements: 64 mm by 19 mm by 44 mm (2.51 x 0.75 x 1.75 Inches).
Hallmarks: Acid stamped and etched with the maker's mark, the edition number and signed, "TIFFANY PERETTI© 751".
Elsa Peretti, was a very famous designer that joined Tiffany & Co in the 1974 and change the complete role of diamonds and color gemstones in fashion for the everyday wear and elevating the status of the sterling silver jewelry. mostly using unusual gemstones and materials. all her creations are as modern today as ever.
Literature: Advertisement in the Los Angeles Times, November 29, 1981. Tiffany & Co. Blue Book for years 1981-1982, illustrated
Collections: The British Museum, London, UK. The Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA), NYC, United States. The Corning Museum Of Glass, NYC, United States.
Exhibitions and Awards: 2009 1 May-2010 31 Jan, London, BM, Room 2, 'Elsa Peretti: Jewellery and objects for Tiffany & Co. Premio award "Credere Nella Ricerca", 2010.
Note: Today you can purchase a similar one at Tiffany & Co., but is a re-issue of this work of art and is not numbered. At the time, the bottle was sold with a half-ounce of pure perfume created just for this purpose. Information about the actual scent is hard to come by; apparently it was a blend of florals, spices, and vetiver, but that’s a very general description, of course. Various news stories noted the high price ($450) of this set, but some also admitted that you were buying a piece of modern design rather than a typical perfume bottle. According to the British Museum, where one of these bottles is on display, artisans in Hong Kong were commissioned to carve these bottles, each out of a single piece of rock. These artisans were chosen because they specialize in carving hardstone.
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Elsa Peretti For Tiffany & Co. bowls and baskets for sale on 1stDibs.
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. bowls and baskets are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. bowls and baskets, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original bowls and baskets by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. were created in the modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bowls and baskets by Lino Tagliapietra, Carlo Moretti, and Anzolo Fuga. Prices for Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. bowls and baskets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $180 and can go as high as $3,200, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $990.
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Questions About Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Bowls and Baskets
- Who is Elsa Peretti for Tiffany?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertJune 30, 2023Elsa Peretti was a revolutionary jewelry designer and model who is known primarily for the work she did for Tiffany & Co. In an era of social upheaval, she reimagined diamonds as jewelry that working women bought for themselves rather than receiving from a suitor. She had her own boutique at Bloomingdale’s by 1972, and her partnership with the firm, which signed the venturesome and unorthodox designer to an exclusive contract in 1974, would cement her place in the lofty annals of jewelry legend. Peretti’s simple but sophisticated designs, such as the Teardrop collection and her minimalist Diamonds by the Yard necklace, helped establish a young audience for Tiffany’s offerings. Her visionary work elevated sterling silver, which was previously considered unsuitable for fine jewelry. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Tiffany & Co. pieces.