Cartier, ‘the jeweler of kings’, arrives on the NGV with a blinding new exhibition

Based in Paris 179 years in the past, Cartier has earned a mythical recognition as a author of luxurious items for royalty, aristocracy, film stars and the rich normally. The English King Edward VII referred to Cartier as “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.”

The resplendent elegance of the Cartier taste in the course of the ages has been introduced in combination in a significant exhibition on the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, now on show on the Nationwide Gallery in Victoria.

An quick hit

Curated for just about a decade by means of Helen Molesworth of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Cartier exhibition opened in London ultimate yr for a seven-month season and briefly offered out.

With nearly 350 pieces on show, many celebrated it as some of the perfect displays of 2025. On the other hand, one grievance was once that the exhibition was once too small and the inevitable small scale of maximum gadgets ended in crowds collecting in darkish areas.

The NGV iteration of the exhibition, with nearly 400 pieces, options plenty of alterations to the show off listing, such because the inclusion of necklaces and bodice decorations owned by means of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba. Melba was once some of the emblem’s first purchasers, with Pierre Cartier amongst her enthusiasts.

Nellie Melba, her father, David Mitchell, and a lady (Nellie’s niece, Nellie Paterson), in Melbourne, Australia, 1903. Bain Information Provider, editor.

Extra importantly, the NGV has collaborated with the world over famend designers to reinvent the exhibition, following a convention it has established over a number of years.

The gallery has collaborated with Studio Sabine Marcelis and CLOUD, two multidisciplinary design studios founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Marcelis inspires Cartier’s colour palette in his design, whilst CLOUD has drawn on Cartier’s geometric shapes to create light-filled architectural constructions that interact in an artistic discussion with the jewels.

A miniature cartoon of Cartier’s taste

The miniature cartoon of the advance of the Cartier taste is very important to working out the exhibition.

Louis-François Cartier based the corporate in Paris in 1847 and in 1874 handed it directly to his son Alfred. It was once Alfred’s 3 sons, Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who internationalized the logo and became it into a manner design powerhouse, with places of work in Paris, London, New York and Saint Petersburg.

Louis followed Artwork Deco orientalist designs and colourful “Tutti Frutti” jewellery combos. He additionally pioneered wristwatch designs and exploited platinum as a structural foundation for elaborate diamond and gemstone settings in jewellery.

Pierre prolonged his operations to New York, whilst Jacques advanced operations on New Bond Side road in London.

Alfred Cartier (2nd from proper) along with his 3 sons (left to proper), Pierre, Louis and Jacques, 1922, Cartier Archives Paris © Cartier.

Cartier design is hard to outline, however it’s fairly simple to acknowledge it while you in finding it.

Within the NGV Cartier catalog, Vivienne Becker, a prolific London-based jewellery historian, arrives at a compelling characterization. She writes that taste:

is in accordance with tradition, in a continuously evolving quest to infuse jewellery design with originality, creative integrity and cultural richness.

As one strikes in the course of the exhibition, there’s a consistent stumble upon with kinds of the previous (together with Egyptian, Chinese language, Eastern, Iranian and Islamic parts) that affect the usage of diamonds and different treasured fabrics.

A listing of purchasers who is who

Cartier additionally has its repertoire of signature motifs, comparable to the long-lasting Panthère, which is able to seem as a panther clip brooch, or snakes and crocodiles that may take the type of necklaces and bracelets.

The exhibition comprises most of the emblem’s signature animal motifs. Joel Carrett

Like jewelers and watchmakers, Cartier was once referred to as the “watchmaker of shapes”: he exploited squares, rectangles and octagons, as an alternative of the standard circle.

Whilst celebrating ideal class, many of the pieces on show have the facility to wonder, comparable to a impressive scarab beetle brooch or a 1933 brooch that includes a large floating amethyst set with sapphires, diamonds and platinum.

Brooch, Cartier London, 1933. Amethyst, sapphires, diamonds and platinum. Cartier Assortment, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Assortment © Cartier.

The spotlight of the exhibition is the show of greater than 20 surprising tiaras. They’re symbols of royalty and glamour, with connotations of celestial halos, laurel wreaths and garlands.

Those tiaras had been worn by means of a who is who of celebrities. For instance, Clementine Churchill wore a scroll tiara (1902) on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and once more in 2016 the singer Rihanna, at the quilt of W mag.

There may be the Solar tiara of 1907, with a 32-carat cognac yellow diamond at its core, and the Artwork Deco diamond and platinum Halo tiara of 1934, impressed by means of historic Egypt and owned by means of Begum Aga Khan III.

Well known names who’ve worn Cartier jewelery featured on this exhibition come with Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Rihanna, Princess Margaret, the Duchess of Windsor, Dame Nellie Melba, the Maharaja of Patiala, Begum Aga Khan III and American heiress Barbara Hutton. Those will turn out a selfie magnet for plenty of guests.

Princess Margaret with the Cartier Rose Brooch, 1955. {Photograph} by means of Cecil. Beaton Cartier Assortment, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Assortment © Cartier

Whilst this isn’t the primary main Cartier exhibition in Australia (there was once a big exhibition in Canberra in 2018), it’s the greatest and accommodates nearly 300 pieces by no means ahead of noticed in Australia. Additionally it is essentially the most leading edge in its show.

Cartier continues to resonate along with his target audience by means of going past mere presentations of ostentatious wealth; faucets into historic cultures and traditions, making them fashionable and related to fresh audiences.

There’s a complete catalog of luminaries and well known names of wearers of Cartier jewellery provide on this exhibition. Joel Carrett

Cartier will probably be on show on the Nationwide Gallery of Victoria from June 12 to October 4.