Elsa Peretti Told Her Life Story in Scrapbook Style

The autobiography was published in 1990

Elsa Peretti at her worktable in 1974 wearing a leather apron by Halston. Photo by Duane Michals

In celebration of what would have been Elsa Peretti’s 85th birthday on May 1, I am posting this updated story from The Adventurine Archives.

I interviewed Elsa a few times over the years. Her colorful and dramatic personality etched each conversation on my brain. When she passed away in 2021, I was wrecked. The jewelry world had lost such a giant and I felt there was so much more for her to say.

Elsa Peretti, one of the biggest names in jewelry history, kept a relatively low profile for most of her life after famously living in New York City during the 1970s and hanging out with the fashion crowd, a chapter so colorfully documented in the Netflix series Halston. I think spending most of her time in a small village in Spain was a form of preservation for her creativity, but it also added to her mystique.

The only book Elsa ever wrote, Fifteen of My Fifty With Tiffany, is out of print, hard to find and expensive. The going rate is generally between $700 and $900. I'm lucky enough to own two copies. I treat one like the treasure it is. The other is a bit battered. I've spent so much time studying it.

Elsa told me when I interviewed her how hard the book was to do. I am certain she toiled over every last detail.

‘Mesh and Diamonds’ page from Elsa Peretti’s ‘Fifteen of My Fifty with Tiffany.’

Published in 1990, when the jewelry designer celebrated her 50th birthday and 15th anniversary at Tiffany with a retrospective at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The unique publication consists of over 20 loose pages of thick paper decorated like a scrapbook.

There is a one-page biography with corresponding family pictures and hand written captions. Another two pages have Elsa’s colorful quotes on different subjects including herself:

“If you have been a kamikaze, like me you can’t go back to being a simple bourgeoisie.”

‘Scorpions and Snakes’ page from Elsa Peretti’s ‘Fifteen of My Fifty with Tiffany.’

On life she said,“I have the feeling of having to prove I exist, that this life has existed, through houses and objects. It may be compensation because I have no children.”

On design she remarked, “Good line and good form are timeless.”

The vast majority of the pages in the book feature Elsa’s designs—Bones, Mesh, Snakes—laid out with a media mix of her original drawings, editorials and advertisements. On the reverse of the each page is a short explanation about the inspiration of each collection.

While the book is hard to find, this delightful 20-minute video of Elsa talking about her anniversary and walking through the 1990 exhibition Fifteen of My Fifty at Tiffany is an excellent substitute. It also perfectly captures the unique personality of Elsa Peretti.