The British Museum has recently received a considerable boost to its jewelry collection with the latest addition of more than 30 pieces of fine jewelry designed by iconic jewelry designer Elsa Peretti.

 

Peretti, most notable for her natural and cultural-inspired designs, has donated the fine jewelry collection to the museum to commemorate 35 years of collaboration with Tiffany & Co, where she has been designing since the early 1970s.

 

Among the pieces on display are Peretti’s ‘open heart’ 18-carat gold mesh bracelet, the gold ‘bean’ necklaces and ‘diamonds by the yard.’ Other notable pieces include silver candlesticks inspired by human bones, a bamboo bag made by a master bamboo weaver in Japan, and a rock crystal scent-bottle inspired by Chinese snuff-bottles from the 17th or 18th century.

 

Peretti was born in Florence, Italy in 1940 and made her name as a fashion model in Spain, before moving to New York in the 1960s where she began creating jewelry for top fashion designers such as Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Giorgio di Sant’Angelo, and more. She has been designing specialty fine jewelry for Tiffany & Co since 1974

The collection will go on temporary display in the Museum from May 1 and will be free of charge.