The Jewellery Archive...

Our archive images this week pay tribute to the legendary jewellery designer, Elsa Peretti, who sadly passed away last week at the age of 80. She was most famed for her creations for Tiffany & Co, whom she began working with in 1974. Elsa's quietly beautiful pieces were remarked upon as being pure, sensuous and sculptural. They were created to compliment the sinuous lines of 1970s designs by the likes of Halston and Galanos and yet these pieces are still chic and wearable in 2021. A legacy to be proud of - Peretti's jewels transcend decades and bring pleasure to so many. In this image taken by Duane Michals for Vogue in December 1974, Elsa works in her studio wearing necklaces from her 'Diamonds by the Yard' collection.

Elsa Peretti is photographed here by Ron Galella at the Met Gala in 1973. She wears her renowned 'Bone Cuff', which was intended to mimic the shape of the wrist bone in its organic form and make precious metals appear soft and pliable.

Pictured in the 1970s, Elsa Peretti wears her bottle pendant. The design was inspired by young girls carrying gardenias in Portofino, Italy. The girls, worried that the flowers would not live, placed them in vases and carried them around their necks.