Tiffany Jewelry Pendant Review: Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso, Key

Tiffany pendants relate closely to the necklaces, of which they sometimes comprise the crown piece. Most often however, they drop from a thin gold, silver, or platinum chain that allows the pendant itself to dominate the jewelry item.

Some of the pendants may lead us to believe that they present an offshoot of charms – and, indeed, isolated pieces resemble Tiffany's charms, though they're usually larger and thicker – but that would be a misconception. Pendants, though may be used as a type of charm by the owner, embody a completely different spirit: less playful, more serious and contemplative.

Pendants in the shape of a cross express religious emotion; irregular semi-precious stones may act as amulets, and so on – there's a range of purposes that Tiffany's pendants encompass that that the charms cannot (and shouldn't) reach simply by the merit of their playful fun oriented nature. Lets take a closer look:

Elsa Peretti's pendants are among Tiffany's most popular. They effortlessly combine classic design principles of clarity and harmony, with light touches of asymmetry, or curliness that keep the jewelry fresh. She habitually employs such familiar motifs as stars, hearts, various large and graceful insects – butterflies and dragonflies – and so on.

Overall, the pendants project elegance without unnecessary weight, and provide a solid alternative to brooches, pins, and even necklaces.

Keys form an important jewelry category in Tiffany: it's a highly symbolic object, and the company shrewdly exploits its allegorical depth. Most (skeleton key) pieces are cast from sterling silver, while some incorporate a small diamond on the bow; bow models include oval, trefoil, heart, locket (can be opened), and other spherically shaped variations, solid or open. The blade consists of a basic bidental fork or a dovetailing single-tooth alternative.

Interestingly, Tiffany chose to extend their key jewelry designs to charms, which are much smaller than the pendants, but are just as evocative.