Britt’s Pick: Peruffo’s Lyrics Statement Choker

By Brittany Siminitz | March 04, 2025

Peruffo’s Lyrics necklace, a statement of a choker with multiple visual elements that work together harmoniously, is nothing if not red-carpet worthy. The Italian jeweler is a master at creating such pieces (see this Britt’s Pick from 2023), with no signs of slowing down.

A picture of the Lyrics necklace has been sitting on my desktop for the past month, and my thoughts kept coming back to it while I was watching the Academy Awards on Sunday evening, daring to imagine myself—when I wasn’t being thrown up on by my 3-year-old (rotavirus is rampant at present)—among the stars and what jewels I would be wearing.

As usual, the Oscars gave viewers a bevy of jewelry treasures to gawk at, obsess over, and maybe even complain about. At a time when our nation is feeling the sting of economic disparity, it could be difficult to revel in the massive gems the celebs were wearing—some of the pieces felt like gross displays of wealth just for the sake of it (I complained to my colleagues about one necklace in particular, the grump of the group chat I was).

However, remembering that many of these jewels are borrowed—and being irrevocably in love with the power and artistry of jewelry—I took comfort in the beauty that is jewelry design, imagining the talent and work poured into the spectacular pieces worn on Oscar night. Expensive? Unquestionably. Examples of exceptional skill, vision, and freedom of expression? Overwhelmingly.

As for Peruffo’s necklace, some might argue its modern, edgier style would be more at home at the Golden Globes or another awards event than the Oscars, which tend to veer more formal, more classic. But there’s beauty in the unexpected, and if Timothée Chalamet can channel a stick of butter in a luscious yellow leather suit, then a two-toned, fringed, geometric neckpiece is just right.

“Brutalist architecture meets psychedelic visions that pay homage to classic Italian art through chiaroscuro,” Peruffo wrote on its Instagram about the Lyrics collection. The concept of chiaroscuro—which refers to the contrast of light and dark in drawing and painting—is evident in the choker’s two-tone, multifaceted design. Its pyramid-esque body creates shadowy reflections with varied heights, giving way to a waterfall of fringe, a delicate movement that lends further contrast to the stronger, bolder body above.

Such a piece serves as a reminder that even when it’s well out of budget for the average consumer, jewelry exists as evidence of gorgeous and unparalleled creativity—and of an art form that, much like the films celebrated on Oscar night, has the power and influence to live forever.

Top: Lyrics choker in yellow and white gold, price on request; Peruffo