Cartier, the jewelry giant with the most commissions from royalty is a symbol of status, superior design and the creation of the most delicate pieces of jewelry, and 350 impressive examples that marked the Maison’s history are on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
Here’s a question for a trivia quiz: what do an Indian Maharaja, Monaco’s Princess Grace Kelly, pop-star Rihanna, Oscar-winner Zoe Saldana and British Queen Elizabeth have in common? The answer is – Cartier. To be more specific, pieces worn on special, historical occasions are now on display at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, where 350 pieces designed by this French jewelry house are on display from April 12 to November 26.
History of Cartier: The Jeweler of Kings and the King of Jewelers
The exhibition showcases how the Parisian jewelry, founded in 1847 by Jean Louis Cartier, became synonymous with glamor and the first globally recognizable jewelry house with stores in Paris, New York and London. Once the royal family became Cartier’s client, the house became known as the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.
Royal Prestige and Cartier’s Historic Commissions
‘Cartier had two commissions with the British royal family in 1904: one with King Edward VII and the other with Queen Alexandra. Therefore, the King and the Queen were specials clients. This was a great honor for jewelers such as Cartier since kings and queens are the most demanding clients. Pieces worn by royal families throughout history are visible, they aren’t purely decorative, but bear meaning. They represent status, power, distinctiveness, taste. Back then, it meant joining the long tradition and legacy of the royal family, but it also reflected innovation – capturing the zeitgeist. For example, the platinum jewelry that Cartier introduced at the time was the key to success among all royal courts,’ says Pierre Rainero, who has been Cartier’s Image, Style and Heritage Director for over two decades.
Mr. Reiner’s job is to look after the archives and the Cartier collections, which includes 3,000 historical pieces. Therefore, he is the key point of contact for cultural institutions and museums that put Cartier’s creations on display around the world.
Cartier’s Grand Return to the UK
It is the first exhibition in the United Kingdom in the last thirty years dedicated to Cartier, with historical precious stones on display, as well as iconic watches, never-before-seen drawings and photographs from the V&A and Cartier archives, items from major museums and private collections, including jewelry from the impressive Royal Collection King Charles loaned to the museum.
One of these special pieces is the Williamson brooch, commissioned by Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1957, the year of her coronation. An incredibly rare 23.6-carat diamond, given to her as a wedding present in 1947, was set into the spectacular brooch. The rose clip brooch is also on display, one of the favorite pieces owned by Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.
There’s also the famous Scroll Tiara commissioned in 1902 and worn at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which Rihanna wore at the cover of W magazine in 2016.
Jewelry that Tells Love Stories
Some exceptional pieces of jewelry also marked special love stories throughout history. Grace Kelly’s engagement ring, which the actress and future princess wore in her last film ‘High Society’ in 1956, before she married Prince Rainier III, came from the collection of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
The Flamingo brooch purchased in Paris in 1940 and the Panther brooch from 1949 are reminders of the fatal love story between Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII. Visitors can also see an amethyst and sapphire brooch made by Cartier London in 1933 for Jacques Cartier’s wife, Nelly.
Icons of Style and Power
Remarkable pieces include Mexican film star María Félix’s extravagant snake necklace from 1968 and the magnificent Manchester tiara from the V&A collection, made in 1903 for the Duchess of Manchester. The Panther collection, which is Cartier’s symbol, is also not to be missed.
A new modular one-of-a-kind diamond and emerald necklace was worn by actress Zoe Saldana at the Oscars, and the V&A Museum exhibits a Panthère diamond bracelet encrusted with onyx, made in 1978.
Cartier’s History in Three Acts
Curators Helen Molesworth and Rachel Garrahan organized the exhibition into three main sections. The first part follows the Cartier founder and his grandsons: creative Louis, diamond merchant Jaques, and businessman Pierre, on their journey of business expansion and building trusting relationships with royal families and top clients. One of them was the Maharaja whose fantastic jewels were incorporated into the Patiala necklace in Cartier’s Paris atelier.
The second part of the exhibition encompasses the Cartier workshop and technical innovations in wristwatches and table watches. The famous 1904 Santos, or the first men’s wristwatch, can also be seen here. The finale of the exhibition is reserved for tiaras, a symbol of status and elegance uniting all Cartier’s assets. In April 2005, 13 tiaras from the Cartier collection were also exhibited in Zagreb’s Mimara Museum, which, of course, cannot be compared to the exhibition in London.
Cartier as a Living Legacy
But it was always important to Cartier for its masterpieces to be on display. ‘Cartier is a symbol of premium design and superior craftsmanship for different audiences, so it is important to share it with the public. This speaks volumes about all the innovations in terms of style, design and pushing the boundaries in making the most delicate pieces of jewelry possible. And that is why this specific commission given to Cartier in early 20th century followed and marked our entire history. You know, we still have the King Charles III commission,’ Pierre Rainero pointed out.
Text Dubravka Tomeković Aralica
Photos Cartier, Victoria and Albert Museum, London & Documentation Cartier Paris
