Elsa Peretti (American, b. Italy, 1940–2021), designer, Tiffany & Co. (American, est. 1837), manufacturer, Scorpion Necklace, 1979, gold

Audio Description

Elsa Peretti designed this necklace in 1979 for American jewelry house Tiffany & Co., who manufactured it. Elsa Peretti was American but was born in Italy in 1940. She died recently in 2021. Tiffany & Co. was established in 1837.

This necklace is made of polished gold and is in the shape of a scorpion. Its claws form the part that goes around the neck. The body forms a pendant at center front. It is fully articulated.

Label Copy

Elsa Peretti designed this necklace in 1979 for American jewelry house Tiffany & Co., who manufactured it. Elsa Peretti was American but was born in Italy in 1940. She died recently in 2021. Tiffany & Co. was established in 1837.

When Peretti began designing for Tiffany & Co. in 1974, it was the first time the company had sold silver jewelry in 25 years. And while silver was Peretti’s go-to metal, her designs were sometimes reproduced in gold, as exemplified in this scorpion necklace. Regardless of the material, she thought of jewelry as sculpture.

Scorpions were a common sight in Catalonia—an area in northeastern Spain—where she lived for several years. Fascinated by the shape and mechanics of the creature, Peretti designed this piece with its fully articulated tail and claws that encircle the neck. Here, she makes metal look like liquid and her approach to the design exudes a restrained elegance. Although a piece like this would have been costly, Peretti was always interested in offering a lower priced range of jewelry. She took the same care with their creation, wanting to provide casual, no-nonsense chic to the working woman.

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