Vintage Tiffany & Co Teardrop Necklace Elsa Peretti 18k Yellow Gold 16.5"
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Weight:2.8 g
- Dimensions:Height: 0.39 in (9.91 mm)Width: 0.17 in (4.32 mm)Length: 16.5 in (419.1 mm)
- Style:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The necklace is in very good original condition and was lightly cleaned and polished.
- Seller Location:Torrance, CA
- Reference Number:
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Torrance, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Vintage 70s Tiffany & Co Multi Strand Bean Necklace Elsa Peretti Sterling 15"By Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CAStylish vintage Tiffany & Co multi-strand bean necklace, crafted in sterling silver (circa 1970s to 1980s). The bean clasp is a classic design by Elsa Peretti and is a great examp...Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Tiffany & Co Diamond X Necklace 18k Gold Platinum Graffiti Vintage PicassoBy Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CAStylish and finely detailed vintage Tiffany & Co diamond "X" necklace, crafted in 18k yellow gold and 950 platinum. Diamonds total an estimated 0.17 carats (estimated at G-H color...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
- Tiffany & Co Seahorse Link Necklace Peretti Sterling Silver Estate 16" ChokerBy Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CAStylish and finely detailed estate Tiffany & Co 'seahorse' link necklace, crafted in sterling silver. Designed by the famed Elsa Peretti the necklace features stylized 'seahorse' ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
MaterialsSilver, Sterling Silver
- Tiffany & Co Essential Necklace 7mm Cultured Pearls 18k Yellow Gold Clasp 18"By Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CAStylish pre owned Tiffany & Co essential cultured pearls 18" necklace finished with an 18k yellow gold clasp. The necklace is strung with 7mm cultured pearls...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Beaded Necklaces
MaterialsPearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Vintage Tiffany & Co Bangle Bracelet Lapis Lazuli 18k Yellow Gold 6" JewelryBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CAStylish and finely detailed vintage Tiffany & Co lapis lazuli bangle bracelet, crafted in 18 karat yellow gold. Lapis lazuli cabochons measure 12mm x 4mm. The lapis is in very good ...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Bangles
MaterialsLapis Lazuli, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- 1981 Tiffany & Co Necklace Paloma Picasso Vintage Triangle Link 18k Gold 15"By Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co.Located in Torrance, CARare vintage Tiffany & Co necklace designed by Paloma Picasso, crafted in 18 karat yellow gold (circa 1981). Dating to 1981 the bold open link necklace is designed by Paloma Picas...Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Teardrop Pendant NecklaceBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Los Angeles, CATIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Teardrop Pendant Necklace Metal: 18K Yellow Gold Chain: 16" long Pendant: 12.5mm long Weight: 4.30 grams Hallmark: "©T&Co. PERETTI 750" on penda...Category
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold
- TIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Teardrop Pendant NecklaceBy Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.Located in Los Angeles, CATIFFANY & Co. Elsa Peretti 18K Gold Teardrop Pendant Necklace Metal: 18K Yellow Gold Chain: 16" long Pendant: 12.5mm long Weight: 4.10 grams Hallmark: "...Category
2010s American Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Bean Necklace 16 1/4" - Yellow Gold 18k ConvertedBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Greensboro, NCBrand: Tiffany & Co. Designer: Elsa Peretti Collection: Bean Design: Authentic Vintage Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Bean Earring Converted with New...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chain Necklaces
MaterialsYellow Gold
- 18 Karat Yellow Gold Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. Teardrop NecklaceBy Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.Located in Troy, MIEveryone should own something iconic, here is your chance! This 18 karat yellow gold Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co teardrop necklace "reminiscent of a solitary raindrop or a shining ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Tiffany & Co Elsa Peretti 18K Yellow Gold Large Mesh NecklaceLocated in Atlanta, GAYear: 2000s Item Details: Metal Type: 18K Yellow Gold [Hallmarked, and Tested] Weight: 54grams Designer: Tiffany & Co (Elsa Peretti) Measurement: 27 Inches Condition: Excellent Pri...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Solid 18 Karat Gold 'Beans' NecklaceBy Elsa PerettiLocated in Berkeley, CAThis iconic Elsa Peretti necklace is a beautiful halo around your neck. The 'beans' are solid gold and have a nice weight to them. You can wear it alone or layer with your other favo...Category
2010s American Modernist Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold