The jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers
Gracing the wrists, heads and necks of royals, celebrities and aristocracy since 1847, Cartier elegantly holds its rightful place as the king of jewellers.
Founded in Paris by Louis-François Cartier, Cartier was the official supplier to some of the most powerful dynasties in the world. They loved the stunning diamond tiaras, dripping with jewels of the most precious kind. The Duchess of Cambridge wore such a tiara on her wedding day – the Halo Tiara – belonging to Her Majesty The Queen and created in 1936 by Cartier.
The beautiful Halo Tiara
The Duchess of Cambridge wears the Halo Tiara on her wedding to William, Duke of CambridgeWatches
A pioneer in modern watchmaking, Cartier designed his first wristwatch for pilot Alberto Santos Dumont in 1904. A perfect balance of form and function, the ultra modern, distinctive flat wristwatch, Santos, was born. Since then, a myriad of beautiful timepieces has followed through the decades, with the iconic Tank, reminiscent of military vehicles, the Tonneau, the Tortue, Baignoire and Pasha. Cartier has never stopped imagining new designs and creations, and the Ballon Bleu was released in 2007, a favourite of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The iconic Santos and Tank watches
The Duchess of Cambridge loves her Cartier Ballon Bleu. Image: GettyThe Taylor Burton Diamond
Arguably the most famous diamond in history, the 69 carat pear shaped diamond set a record at public auction in 1969, selling for £1,050,000 to Cartier. Bidding against the House was Richard Burton, and, angered that he hadn’t obtained this most precious gem for his beautiful wife, Elizabeth Taylor, he demanded it was his, and paid Cartier £1.1million for the stone. Burton wrote in his diary that “I wanted that diamond because it is incomparably lovely … and it should be on the loveliest woman in the world.” …and so it was… Whoever purchased the diamond was allowed to name it, so it became known as the Taylor Burton Diamond.
The famous Taylor Burton Diamond, mounted on a £80,000 diamond necklaceThe Panther
The House’s signature emblem, the panther has reigned supreme over Cartier designs. A timeless, fearless symbol, it first appeared in a wristwatch, with the setting of the gems recreating the animal’s fur. Since then it has graced Cartier powder boxes, cigarette cases, bracelets, necklaces and brooches, becoming the object of all desires and an icon of the House of Cartier.
The original Panther watch, made in 1914, a cigarette case holding the panther icon, and the Duchess of Windsor’s 152 carat sapphire broochNew collection
Returning in a special collection, the Panthere de Cartier watch has been reimagined for the modern day. With its signature square face and elegant chain link strap, the design is timelessly stylish and beautifully created.
The new collection of Panthere de Cartier watchesWith the company now spanning 125 countries worldwide with over 200 stores, it appears that the famous utterance by a staff member of “Les Must de Cartier” or “Cartier, it’s a must!” could not ring truer.
