Ella Gafter Brooches
Even before Ella Gafter founded her namesake jewelry collection in 1982, she was a formidable presence in the jewelry industry.
As a Rome-based gem dealer, Gafter sold pearls and precious stones to retailers and jewelers but was often dissatisfied with how they made use of the rare materials she worked so hard to source. Instead of grousing, she decided to design jewels that would do them justice, focusing primarily on pearls — akoya, Tahitian and South Sea. She explains her fascination with the lustrous marine treasures simply: “Every woman looks better with pearls than without.”
Her daughter Talila Gafter, then an undergrad at Harvard, was her ally in getting the project off the ground. Together, they made the rounds to stores with Ella’s first efforts. “We had a little pouch with eight pieces and we sold everything,” Talila tells 1stDibs. After graduation, she “was involved one hundred percent” in building the company, whose pieces are handmade by master jewelers in Naples.
The designer insists that her unwavering focus is the source of her success. “There’s no compromising for me,” she says. She’s been known to replace the pearls in a single piece time after time until she’s certain she’s achieved her ideal result. “A pearl you have to respect,” she explains. “You have to put it where it wants to sit.”
Ella describes the collaboration with her daughter as a “partnership,” with each having her own domain. “I’m all fantasy; Talila is the concrete one,” she says. The company is now based in New York City, with Talila as its president while Ella is firmly at the helm of creative decisions. “I’ve never made a design suggestion to Ella,” says Talila. “Nobody does.”
That forbearance has been earned, says Talila. “I admire that Ella doesn’t take no for an answer, her tenacity, her extraordinary ambition. She believes as long as there is life, there is a lot of beauty to create. She’s a force of nature.”
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, C...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Black Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Sapphire, Emerald, Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, South Sea Pearl...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Ruby, Coral, Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pea...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Onyx, 18k Gold...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Coral, Crystal, White Diamond...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, Black Pearl, South Sea Pea...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Whit...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ye...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, Crystal, White Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, Black Pearl, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Onyx, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Wh...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, Wh...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Emerald, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sap...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, White Diamond, Black Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k G...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Pearl, Diamond, Sapphire, South Sea Pearl, Pink Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Black Pearl, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, W...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold, Ye...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Crystal, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, White Diamond, Onyx, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, White Diamond, Diamond, Crystal, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, Black Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Yellow Sapphir...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Coral, White Diamond, Onyx, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k G...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Rock Crystal, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Yellow Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Crystal, Diamond, Sapphire, White Gold, 18...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Turquoise, Diamond, South Sea Pearl...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, Crystal, White Diamond, Emerald, Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Coral, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Coral, Crystal, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Emerald, Pearl, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Ruby, Blue Sap...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Pearl, 18k Gol...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Pearl, Sap...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Pearl, Sapphire, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Crystal,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, White Diamond, Pearl, Crystal, 18k Gold,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Crystal, White Diamond, Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Brooches
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
