In a move that will surprise and delight jewellery aficionados across Australia, Cartier has brought its greatly anticipated High Jewellery collection to the country for a limited time.
A one-of-a-kind opportunity for Australians to see the stunning pieces in the boutiques, many of the creations from the Parisian maison have never travelled to Australia before, and are usually only visible through invitation to international events.
The Cartier Tradition offer covers Cartier’s history and its different stylistic periods. After being purchase at auction houses or directly from past clients, the Maison’s ateliers breathe new life into its historic antiques, restoring them to perfection, sometimes adding modern accents to the creations.
Brimming with incredible pieces, the impressive collection boasts vintage jewellery from the last century which have been brought back and restored in Cartier workshops under the maison’s expertise, with most of the pieces coming from the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’60s.
The Dioscures Necklace is one of the most notable pieces in the collection. A one-a-kind creation, it was inspired by the divine twins in Greek mythology known as Castor and Pollux.
The mythological roots are translated through the pairing of two incredible pear-shaped diamonds—approximately 26 carats each—which have been cut from the same rough diamond weighing more than 195 carats. The stunning stones are both certified D IF and belong to the type IIa, making them almost devoid of impurities, with the category covering less than 2% of existing diamonds.
Also among the collection’s most notable pieces is The Varantia Set, a unique piece with an exception ensemble of 10 cushion-shaped rubies from Burma.
Two of the gems weigh more than three carats, with the central stone and the 3.22-carat stone on the ring—an impressive weight rarely found on rubies. Emblematic of Cartier’s iconic style, the piece features a stark red and black contrast, which has been the maison’s signature colour combination since the beginning of the 20th century.
Another standout from the collection is The Feline Bracelet. The statement design is a testament to Cartier’s savoir-faire, with the incredible piece taking 495 hours to create and 50 onyx stones to complete.
The Cartier High Jewellery collection is now available for viewings in select Cartier boutiques.
