What does such a disparate group as British royalty, Indian Maharajahs, a Mexican actress called Maria Félix and music icon Rihanna have in common. The answer is, they have all owned or worn Cartier, and their lavish jewels will be some of the 350 pieces brought together for a major exhibition dedicated to the Maison at the Victoria & Albert in the spring.
It will be the first exhibition devoted to Cartier in the UK for 30 years and will chart the evolution of what must arguably be described as the first global jewellery brand. The three grandsons of founder Louis-Francois Cartier, Louis in Paris (the creative eye), Jacques in London (a brilliant gem-dealer who sourced the gemstones) and Pierre in New York (the skilful businessman who built the relationship with top clients) were united in their ambition to expand a Parisian family jeweller into an international business operating in the highest echelons of society.
Their enviable client list over the decades have included royalty, aristocracy, Wall Street tycoons, movies stars and creatives in the fields of music, fashion and the arts, influencers of their generations, which served to broaden the appeal of Cartier jewellery around the world.
The exhibition opens with an introduction to the brothers and their grandfather who founded the business in 1847. It is then divided into three sections, the first exploring the creativity of Cartier, its sources of inspiration, especially for Louis Cartier which included Parisian architecture, the Islamic world, India, China and ancient Egypt which have been imaginatively assimilated into the house style over the years, like the colourful Indian-inspired Tutti Frutti.
Another important design was the ‘Garland Style’, a light, romantic aesthetic inspired by 18th century architecture and decorative arts and developed into a signature style for the Maison as of course was the geometric Art Deco style embodied in other pieces of jewellery like brooches that will be on display.
The brothers skilfully built-up client relationships with the British royal family and there will be jewels like Queen Elizabeth II’s Williamson Diamond brooch and Princess Margaret’s rose clip brooch form the Royal Collection exhibited. Meanwhile Jacques, in India, cultivated the Maharajahs whose fabulous gemstone treasures ended up in Cartier’s Paris atelier being transformed into jewels like the Patiala necklace.
Other sections feature the Cartier workshops and their exceptional access to important gemstones and technical innovation in jewellery, watches and clocks. There will be a selection of Cartier London timepieces including an iconic Crash watch that was made in 1967, as well as the very first dedicated man’s wristwatch, the Santos, which heralded a new look in watchmaking in 1904.
The final section is about the image-building of the brand from the early 1900s and its pioneering marketing techniques and exhibitions. The finale is the collection of tiaras, the ultimate symbol of status and elegance, and includes one worn by Rihanna in 2016.
The exhibition runs from 12th April 2025 – 16th November 2025. Tickets are available at Vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/cartier
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