Ella Gafter Pelican Brooch Diamond
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:18k Gold,White Gold
- Stone:White Diamond,Crystal,Onyx,Diamond,South Sea Pearl,Ruby
- Stone Cut:Round Cut
- Weight:42 g
- Dimensions:Width: 2.5 in (63.5 mm)Depth: 0.75 in (19.05 mm)Length: 2 in (50.8 mm)
- Style:Artist
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:21st Century
- Date of Manufacture:Unknown
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Ella Gafter
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.
Ella Gafter
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Ella Gafter Diamond Pearl Swan BroochBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThis pearl and diamond swan brooch pin features an intricate play of mother-of-pearl and crystal expertly custom cut into the white gold feathers, lending ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Brooches
MaterialsRuby, Coral, Crystal, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pea...
- Ella Gafter Bird Brooch Ruby DiamondBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThe bird brooch pin features a fine Australian South Sea pearl of 16.50mm diameter. The pearl is untreated. It displays fine quality nacre and its natural color and luster have not b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Pearl, Coral, White Diamond, Onyx, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k G...
- Ella Gafter Diamond Seahorse Pin BroochBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThis seahorse diamond brooch features a sculptural body with tinted New Zealand paua shell (abalone) topped by transparent crystal, lending the jewel a distinctly art déco look. The ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Crystal, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Ella Gafter Seahorse Diamond Brooch PinBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThis diamond seahorse brooch pin features a sculptural body with tinted New Zealand paua shell (abalone) topped by transparent crystal, lending the jewel a distinctly art déco look. The body is circumscribed by a crest-like design set with round diamonds for a total of approximately 1 carat. The tail curls around an exceptionally large and beautiful oval South Sea pearl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Brooches
MaterialsCrystal, Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Ella Gafter Diamond Flower Tree BroochBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThe flower diamond brooch features five leaves or petals around a large and lustrous South Sea pearl. The leaves and stem are each accented by a ribbon of custom cut baguette shaped ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Brooches
MaterialsPearl, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire,...
- Ella Gafter Diamond Flower Basket Brooch PinBy Ella GafterLocated in New York, NYThis diamond flower basket brooch features at the base a stylized basket of mother-of-pearl and crystal set with round diamonds en pavé. The total...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald, Onyx, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, C...
- Frascarolo Milano Enameled Pelican Brooch 18Kt Yellow Gold With Diamonds & RubyBy FrascaroloLocated in Miami, FLPelican brooch designed by Frascarolo. A beautiful brooch, created in Milano Italy by the famed Italian jeweler and designer Pierino Frascarolo. This impressive piece is highly sculpted and was from his bestiary collection designed during the mid-Century period, back in the 1960. It was made up in the shape of a whimsical happy...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modernist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
- 1980s Ruby and Yellow Gold Pelican BroochLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn impressive vintage 1980s 0.03 carat ruby and 14 karat yellow gold 'pelican' brooch by Dankner; part of our diverse gemstone jewelry and estate jewelry collections. This fine and ...Category
Vintage 1980s American Retro Brooches
MaterialsRuby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Detailed Sterling Silver Pelican Brooch Pin with Diamond Eye by Ashley ChildsLocated in Bozeman, MTDetailed Sterling Silver Pelican Brooch Pin with Diamond Eye by Ashley Childs Pelican originally carved by "World on a String" by carvers in Bali, owne...Category
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Silver, Sterling Silver
- Ruby & Diamond BroochLocated in New York, NYRuby & Diamond Brooch An 18-karat two tone gold brooch set with marquise cut rubies and round cut diamonds Stamped Italy and 18K Measurements: 1.75" x 1.63"Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
- The Silversmith Ella Cone Sterling Silver Modernist Leaf Pin/Brooch #14191Located in Washington Depot, CTVintage modernist sterling silver leaf pin/brooch by The Silversmith. Ella L Cone was the proprietor of The Silversmith's Shop in Boston an...Category
Vintage 1940s Modern Brooches
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Fancy Color diamond broochLocated in New York, NYThis exquisite piece is a testament to the artistry of fine jewelry craftsmanship. Created in the year 2001, this Fancy Color Diamond Brooch is...Category
20th Century Indian Retro Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold