Jeanne Toussaint. Elsa Perretti. Suzanne Belperron. If you love jewellery, you’ll be familiar with the names of these extraordinary women, each of whom forged her own path and left an indelible mark on the industry.
Toussaint (1887 – 1976) was the visionary creative director responsible for pioneering the vibrant and voluminous motifs at Cartier between 1933 and 1970, including its sensuous, three-dimensional panther, which captured the hearts of luminaries like the Duchess of Windsor and opera star Maria Callas. Meanwhile Perretti (1940 – 2021) brought a catwalk-worthy sensibility to Tiffany & Co. during the 1970s. Crafted in sterling silver, many of her organically-inspired creations – such as the Bone Cuff, Bean Pendant and Scorpion Necklace – helped to elevate the once-humble metal to a luxurious must-have and remain amongst the company’s bestselling designs today. And Suzanne Belperron (1900- 1983) became famous for daring to blend precious gemstones with unconventional materials like rock crystal in her sculptural designs. During the Nazi occupation of Paris in the 1940s, she became a member of the Resistance and bought the jewellery company of her employer, Bernard Herz, giving it her own name to preserve it from being destroyed.
