In light of the debut of Tiffany & Co.’s buzzy new flagship in New York, Hancocks London is forgoing pearl, alexandrite, or moonstone for its June Jewel of the Month and instead opting for a vintage Tiffany piece by Elsa Peretti.
Peretti’s iconic scorpion necklace is made entirely of 18k yellow gold, with articulated segments mimicking a scorpion’s body parts, from the pincers to the tip of the tail (beware of the sting).
The piece was inspired by scorpions Peretti observed around her home in Catalonia, Spain. “While working in Sant Martí Vell, I came across a lot of scorpions,” she said. “The animals are incredibly attractive, with fascinating mechanics. Strangely they are never around when I need to review something in my design. I have to confess that I had to sacrifice a few. I feel sorry.”
Like much of Peretti’s work—such as her famous bone cuff—the scorpion necklace was influenced by the core structure and innermost mechanics of something in nature. Guy Burton, Hancocks London’s managing director, said in a statement: “It is testament to Elsa Peretti’s creativity and artistic eye that she could take a creature like a scorpion and transform it into a desirable piece of wearable art. We are particularly excited to have one of the original and earliest designs available for sale as they are incredibly hard to track down. Whoever is the new owner, the one thing for sure is that wearing this incredible piece will add a playful sting to their sense of style.”
The necklace, designed in 1979 and created in the 1980s, is available on Hancock London’s site for £25,000, or approximately $31,000.
(Photos courtesy of Hancocks London)
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