Women's History Month: Our Favorite Female Jewelry Designers

As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month (Melanie here), I've been thinking about my favorite jewelry designers of all time: Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso. Both designed for Tiffany & Co., creating some of the storied jewelers most iconic designs. I've posted about this in the past in our social media feeds, so yes, I'm a little obsessed! 

Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of the founder of Tiffany & Co. and an artist in his own right, notably worked primarily with women artists. This was considered progressive in the late 1800s to early 1900s, when women had few opportunities. Comfort is said to have had a preference for hiring female artists because of our ability to discern between colors and articulate the differences verbally and visually. Tiffany & Co. continued the tradition Comfort started, bringing many talented women into the spotlight in the ensuing years.

My own artistic vision and design style, on both a personal level and the pieces I design and curate for Maison Mariann, is heavily influenced by the Art Deco and midcentury modern movements. Which is where Italian jewelry designer, model and Halston muse Elsa Peretti and Spanish-French jewelry designer and businesswoman Paloma Picasso (daughter of artists Pablo Picasso Françoise Gilot) enter the chat, if you will. 

One of the first pieces of fine jewelry I bought for myself was an Elsa Peretti bean necklace. While I don't own any of Picasso's pieces (yet), her Olive Leaf collection climber earrings are a direct inspiration for our Nature Collection's and Branching Out Climber Earrings. 

Both women embody talent, vision, artistry, effortlessly chic je ne sais quoi and glamour for days and days. Oh to live a moment in either of their lives! Do fall down a rabbit hole googling about them and, if you do, email me at melanie@maisonmariann.com to share your adventure! Or, tell me about your favorite women in jewelry.