Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
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.”
Find Ella Gafter earrings, rings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Sapphire, Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, White ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, Black Pearl, Pearl, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold, Ye...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Onyx, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Yellow Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Coral, Crystal, White Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, White Gold...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Pink Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Onyx, White Diamond, 18k Gold,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, South Sea Pearl, Black Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, Wh...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Yellow Sapphire, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Emerald, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Onyx, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, W...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Sapphire, Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Ruby, South Sea Pearl...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Crystal, White Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Pearl, Diamond, Ruby, South Sea Pearl, Onyx, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Wh...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Whit...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Ella Gafter Jewelry & Watches
White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold