Cartier Times

Mention Cartier and people will immediately start thinking about millionaires and rich celebrities who can afford extremely expensive jewellery pieces.

Yet the name of the French jeweller and watchmaker is also synonymous with skilled craftsmanship, manufacturing precision, stylistic feeling and strong identity.

An interesting way to rediscover Cartier's history and cultural heritage is through the exhibition "Cartier . . . 100 Years of Passion and Free Spirit in America", that opened a few days ago on the second floor of the Cartier shop in New York’s Fifth Avenue.

The event is conceived as a celebration of Cartier's United States centenary and as a way to allow a wider audience to admire some of the most extravagant pieces ever created by the French jewellery house founded over 160 years ago.

I'm not one of the hoi oligoi, the very few ones part of that global elite of people who can actually afford such pieces, but I find the initiative rather interesting as it allows to admire exclusive pieces and objects from private clients and from Cartier’s archive, created for actresses, celebrities and millionaires.

Though I’m attracted by the slight touch of kitsch of the animal pieces such as the Duchess of Windsor’s tiger lorgnette, Grace Kelly’s poodle pin and Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton’s diamond tiger brooch, one of my favourite pieces remains the jewelled handbag (image from the New York Times) created for Condé Nast’s wife complete of her home address, 1040 Park Avenue (would anybody have brought it back to her in case she had lost it? The doubt remains…).

The pieces are invaluable also on an historical level as they chronicle a particular period of time, when rich people and celebrities frequently ordered extremely expensive and extravagant bespoke pieces almost in a competition to outdo each other. The 100 exhibited pieces will be on view until May 21 and will later on be showcased at the Beverly Hills-based Cartier store from June 1-14.

For those of you who are more interested in the historical value of Cartier and also have an interest in photography check out the book Cartier I Love You, published by teNeues (coming out in May in Europe and in June overseas, price: €78, $95, £65) and art directed and edited by Bruce Weber.

The volume features roughly 300 photographs, some from Cartier’s archive, others taken by Weber and created exclusively for the book, plus an essay by Ingrid Sischy. Cartier I Love You comes in a gold-bordered, red cover and case designed to look like a Cartier jewellery box. Yes, it may not be an original piece of sparkling jewellery, but at least you will get the perfect illusion of owning one.