Exhibition
Cartier
★★★★★ A spellbinding, once-in-a-lifetime display of old-world glamour
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Cartier: A Royal Following
Jewellery historian Andrew Prince takes a look at the enduring appeal of Cartier to royalty worldwide, at the turn of the 20th century.
The name Cartier immediately brings to mind images of exquisite jewels and peerless elegance.
At the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, the crowned heads of Europe (not to mention their influential mistresses) vied to outdo one another with opulent displays of status and splendour. Their gems were a defining feature in this glittering battle, and a proud Frenchman and his three talented sons saw an opportunity to use their artistry and expertise to completely transform jewellery design.
Join jewellery historian Andrew Prince as he guides you through this fascinating period, highlighting the doomed magnificence of the Russian court, the fabled wealth of the Indian Maharajahs, the revolution in fashion pioneered by Paul Poiret, and the emergence of the ‘Modern Woman’ whose jewels simply had to come from Cartier.
Header image: Scroll tiara, Cartier Paris, commissioned for the Countess of Essex in 1902. Diamonds, silver and gold. Nils Herrmann, Collection Cartier © Cartier 5 / 5 80%