In 1847, Louis-François Cartier took over the jewelry workshop from his master Adolphe Picard. In 1898, Louis Cartier, grandson of Louis-François, joined his father Alfred at the head of the family business. At the young age of 23, Louis encouraged his father to move the Cartier premises to rue de la Paix, the most elegant street in Paris, from which moment the innovation, style and design of Cartier were born.

Louis Cartier was inspired by historical styles, reinterpreted in revolutionary and audacious forms. He established in-house production and design processes that forged the direction of a Maison that would endure, always presenting new creative approaches.

The Maison turned its back on Art Nouveau, the prevailing style at the time, and sought its own path through a refined language without unnecessary decoration, whose simple elegance, delicacy of its frames and striking color combinations constitute the pioneering and recognizable style of Cartier.

VITRINE 01

Pyramid clip brooch
Cartier Paris, special order, 1935
Platinum, diamonds

Two identical clip brooches were originally made to be worn separately or as a single piece; the client later asked that one of the brooches be set on a bracelet of white gold and black lacquer.

VITRINE 02

Model
circa 1947
Cardboard, paper, gouache, watercolor, fabric, wood, glass, brass

The interior of Cartier’s boutique at 9 Boulevard des Italiens. Cartier was based at this address from 1859 to 1899.

At the back, a label signed Catherine Serebriakova (Russian painter (1913-2014), specialized in interior portraits). This model was ordered for Cartier’s 100th anniversary.

Star brooch
Cartier Paris, 1889
Gold, silver, diamonds

In the original black case, stamped CARTIER JOAILLIER-ORFEVRE 9 BD DES ITALIENS. This brooch could also be worn as a hair pin.

Pendant
Cartier Paris, special order, 1902. Gold, silver, diamonds

Cameo brooch
Cartier Paris, circa 1860
Gold, shell cameo

This brooch bears the maker’s mark registered by Louis-François Cartier: an ace of hearts flanked by the initials LC.

Bracelet
Cartier, circa 1850
Gold, silver, diamonds, lapis lazuli

Pendant
Cartier, circa 1860
Yellow gold, pink gold, polychrome enamel, glass

The back of the pendant opens to keep a lock of hair.

In the original case stamped BREVETÉ DE S. A. I. MME LA PSSE MATHILDE / CARTIER-GILLION JOAILLIER BIJOUTIER / PARIS / 9 BOULD. DES ITALIENS.

In 1859, Louis-François Cartier bought the stock and premises of the jeweler Gillion and established himself at 9 Boulevard des Italiens.

Model
Circa 1947
Cardboard, paper, gouache, fabric, wood, glass, brass

Elegant couples strolling in front of Cartier’s at 9 Boulevard des Italiens. Cartier was based at this address from 1859 to 1899.

Made to order by Catherine Serebriakova (Russian painter (1913- 2014) for Cartier’s 100th anniversary.

VITRINE 03

Moving away from Art Nouveau, the dominant trend at the end of the 19th century, Louis Cartier, grandson of the founder, developed his own version of French neoclassicism. He promoted the use of platinum in jewelry to design flexible mountings and delicate settings that accentuated the sparkle of the diamonds. These pieces won him fame and international recognition. More than synthesizing a style, Louis Cartier reinterpreted a past era with his designs to create something new.

Tiara
Cartier Paris, special order, 1905
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting

Provenance:
Mary Scott Townsend and Mrs. Ronalds McElroy

Mary Scott Townsend was an eminent member of Washington’s high society at the turn of the twentieth century. Her great niece, Thora Ronalds McElroy (1907–1990), was heir to the Scott-Strong coal and railroad fortune.

Choker necklace
Cartier Paris, special order, 1906
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting.

Provenance:
Mary Scott Townsend and Mrs. Ronalds McElroy.

Lily stomacher brooch
Cartier Paris, special order, 1906
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting

This jewel can be worn as a “devant de corsage, épaulettes et diadème”
(Cartier Archives).

Provenance:
Mary Scott Townsend and Mrs. Ronalds McElroy.

VITRINE 04

Tiara
Cartier Paris, special order, 1911
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting

Lavallière necklace
Cartier Paris, circa 1906
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting

The knot motif and pendants are detachable and can be worn as a brooch.

VITRINE 05

In the first decades of the 20th century, Cartier began using another material that would become one of his favorites: polished or carved rock crystal. The combination of rock crystal and diamonds is without a doubt the nucleus of these highly expressive masterpieces.

Wristwatch Cartier Paris, 1913
Platinum, pink gold, engraved rock crystal curved to fit the wrist, diamonds, onyx, moiré strap

Pendant
Cartier Paris, 1912
Platinum, diamonds, star sapphires, natural pearls, carved rock crystal, millegrain setting, silk cord

The central section can be unscrewed and worn as a brooch. Two faun heads carved in rock crystal can be seen in profile on either side of the pendant. This outstanding piece is one of Cartier’s first works in rock crystal.

Stomacher brooch
Cartier Paris, special order, 1913
Platinum, diamonds, carved rock crystal, millegrain setting

The pendant is detachable.

VITRINE 06

In the early years of the 20th century, when neoclassicism still ruled in Cartier’s creations, something new was being forged in the Maison’s workshops—designs with geometric lines and abstract forms. Geometry was not the only element of modernity to appear. The inspiration from non-Western sources represented a turning point for the Maison’s aesthetic. Louis Cartier introduced bold color combinations and unprecedented forms through stylized representations of nature. By giving such free reign to the imagination and creative interpretation, Cartier became the trailblazer of the “modern style.”

Japanese brooch
Cartier Paris, 1907
Platinum, diamonds

Brooch
Cartier Paris, 1908
Platinum, diamonds, sapphires, natural pearls

Hair ornament
Cartier Paris, 1902
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting

The piece is articulated to achieve an exact fit.

Provenance:
Mrs. William Field
Lila Vanderbilt Field (née Sloane, 1878-1934) was the daughter of Emily Thorn Vanderbilt and William Douglas Sloane. Cousin of Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough (later Mme Jacques Balsan), she married William Bradhurst Osgood Field.

Brooch
Cartier Paris, 1910
Platinum, diamonds
Originally a broche de nuque (Cartier Archives), a barrette for the back of the head.

Brooch
Cartier Paris, 1909
Platinum, diamonds, millegrain setting.

Cigarette case
Cartier Paris, 1912
Agate, platinum, diamonds, sapphires

Monogram HA . The case was carved from a hollowed block of agate.

VITRINE 07

Platinum and diamonds, signature elements in Cartier jewelry, were joined by onyx in the 1910’s. This black stone provided an ideal complement, enhancing the brilliance of the diamonds and creating a sense of three-dimensionality in jewelry. At the same time, onyx contributed to highlighting pieces’ lines. Onyx is a key element of the Maison’s iconic motif: the panther-skin pattern, which appeared for the first time in 1914 on a wristwatch.

Panther-pattern watch-brooch
Cartier Paris, 1915
Platinum, diamonds, onyx, double silk cord

Provenance:
Pierre Cartier

Egyptian-style pendant
Cartier Paris, 1913
Platinum, diamonds, onyx, millegrain setting, silk cord

The motif of the pylon, or monumental temple gate, was used by Egyptian goldsmiths for pendants worn as pectoral jewelry.

Knot brooch
Cartier Paris, 1913
Platinum, gold, diamonds, onyx, millegrain setting

VITRINE 08

The arrival of bold color combinations to the Cartier palate dates to the beginning of the 20th century. The explosion of vibrant colors found in the dressing rooms and set design of the Russian ballet, the intrinsic charm of gemstones used in traditional Indian jewelry, and the extraordinary compositions of Islamic art dazzled Louis Cartier and were a watershed for the Maison. Thus, was born the famous blue and green combination of sapphires and emeralds, or lapis lazuli and jade—called the “peacock motif”—to which black onyx and ruby were also added. Jewelry with such strong contrasts initially provoked bewilderment but immediately attracted more daring women, with their hypnotic reflections of modernity.

Bracelet
Cartier, 2014
Platinum, diamonds, one emerald, onyx

Private collection

Brooch
Cartier Paris, 1922
Platinum, diamonds, emeralds, onyx

Made in 1922, this brooch incorporates two onyx and diamond motifs taken from a cliquet brooch dating from 1920. The onyx shading lends volume to the piece.

Pompom pendant watch
Cartier Paris, 1925 Platinum, gold, diamonds, emerald, natural pearl, lapis lazuli, enamel, cord

To make it easier to tell the time when the stirrup is flat against the bezel, the numerals 6 and 12 figure on both sides of the stirrup attachment.

Tiara
Cartier Paris, special order, 1914
Platinum, blackened steel, diamonds, rubies

Provenance:
Lady Avery
According to the archives, this tiara derived from a necklace originally made for stock in 1906 and sold to Lady Avery. In 1914, nine pear-shaped diamonds and the surrounding calibré-cut rubies were reused for this tiara. Cartier produced several steel tiaras of this type at the time.

Fruit bowl brooch
Cartier Paris, 1925
Platinum, gold, diamonds, emerald, rubies, onyx, enamel
The sophisticated use of onyx to suggest shading enhances the effect of perspective.

Provenance:
Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt
Born Anna Harriman Sands Rutherford, this loyal Cartier client married William Kissam Vanderbilt (grandson of “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt) in 1903.

Egyptian-style bangle
Cartier Paris, 1921
Gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, enamel

This piece, which opens with a twisting movement, is primarily African in feel. Its only Egyptian features are the ends flared like the capitals of Egyptian columns. Cartier generally labeled this kind of bangle “Egyptian,” “Sudanese,” or “Indian.”

VITRINE 09

In 1925 the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels moderneswas an important point of departure for new styles and repertoires in design. Cartier participated and exhibited pieces in this important event that would set the path for art, architecture, and design, and in which Art Deco became defined as a stylistic movement.

Art Deco was foreshadowed using geometric lines: cubes, rhombuses, and polygons. Abstraction completely replaced figuration, Cartier’s creations, radical in their use of new cuts of diamonds such as baguette-cut, gave jewelry an architectural treatment and ushered in Art Deco style.

Pair of ear pendants
Cartier Paris, 1923, transformed in 1924 and 1925
Platinum, diamonds

Created in 1923, these ear pendants, originally longer, were transformed once in 1924, and again in 1925 to take their current form.

Provenance:
the Queen of Spain

Bracelet-watch with cover
Cartier New York, 1927
Platinum, diamonds

Sautoir
Cartier Paris, 1928 (pendant) and 1929 (chain)
Platinum, diamonds

This sautoir-type necklace could be broken down and worn as four bracelets or be paired as a collar-type necklace and two bracelets. This is the way it was worn in the 1930s, once the fashion for long, sautoir-type chains had passed.

Strap bracelet
Cartier Paris, special order, 1926
Platinum, diamonds, emeralds

Brooch Cartier New York, special order, 1928
Platinum, diamonds

Provenance:
Collection of Sir Elton John

Bracelet
Cartier Paris, special order, 1923
Platinum, diamonds

VITRINE 10

In the 1920s, Jeanne Toussaint, who would later become Cartier Creative Director, joined the Maison’s Paris branch. She was the embodiment of a modern working woman at a time when women were emerging as a social force. Toussaint developed the S Department—S for silver or soir (night). There she designed practical, lightly ornamented objects, creating vanity cases, lipstick holders, cigarette cases, and other articles that reflected the then new style of women, including smoking in public. Toussaint continued Louis Cartier’s principles and vision, while developing her own approach and style. She conceived a creative language that gave life to countless emblematic creations during her fifty-year career at the Maison.

Evening clutch bag
Cartier Paris, 1924
Silver, platinum, diamonds, natural pearls, enamel, onyx, satin

Provenance:
Louis Cartier

Panther vanity case
Cartier Paris, 1927
Gold, platinum, enamel, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, onyx

The interior fitted with a mirror and two covered powder compartments.

Lipstick holder
Cartier Paris, 1924
Gold, enamel, onyx

Cigarette holder
Cartier Paris, 1927
Gold, crystal (bowl), bakelite (shaft), horn (mouthpiece), diamonds, enamel

Cigarette case
Cartier Paris, 1926
Gold, sapphire, lacquer

Vanity case
Cartier Paris, 1929
Pink gold, platinum, diamonds, enamel

The interior fitted with a mirror, a lipstick, two covered powder compartments, a dropper bottle, and a place with clip for a comb. A dropper- bottle is a small perfume bottle that dispenses a few drops.

In the Cartier Archives this kind of item is called a nécessaire coiffeuse, because the front section folds down to serve as a miniature dressing table.

VITRINE 11

Parure
Cartier London, special order, 1926, modified in 1927 and again in 1928
Platinum, gold, diamonds, amethysts

The sautoir that was originally ordered underwent several transformations for the client.

Made as a special order for Gladys Marie, Duchess of Marlborough.

Gladys Marie Deacon (1881-1977), born in Paris in 1881, was the descendant “of two well-established and extremely wealthy American families, the Deacons and the Baldwins. Her parents, Edward and Florence Deacon, were part of the fashionable American set who made their base in Europe and thrived on the high social lifestyle on both sides of the Atlantic. Gladys was the eldest of four sisters.

Marcel Proust, for whom she would inspire the character of Miss Foster in A la recherche du temps perdu, would write the following of her after their first meeting in 1907: “she seemed to me, as well as being beauty personified, to be of superior intelligence, and of the best and most delicious nature”.

Extraordinarily attractive she was pursued by Europe’s most eligible bachelors for years until, at the age of 40, she married Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough who divorced his first wife, Consuelo Vanderbilt, in order to marry Gladys.

Provenance:
Property from the Estate of Eleonor Searle Whitney McCollum (c. 1908-2002), a member of two prominent American families and dedicated philanthropist.

TABLE A

Design for a panther vanity case
Cartier Paris, 1926
Executed in gold, enamel, platinum, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds
Graphite, Indian ink and gouache on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Designs for bracelets
Cartier Paris, 1925
Executed in platinum, emeralds, and diamonds
Graphite, Indian ink, and gouache on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Design for a brooch
Cartier Paris, 1925
Sold to Mrs W. K. Vanderbilt
Graphite and gouache on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Plaster cast for a brooch Cartier Paris, 1909
Cartier Paris Archives

Plaster cast for a brooch
Cartier Paris, 1908
Cartier Paris Archives

Plaster cast for a tiara
Cartier Paris, 1912
Cartier Paris Archives

Design for brooches and drapery brooch studies
Cartier Paris, 1911–1913
Brooches executed from 1911 to 1913 in platinum, rock crystal, diamonds, onyx, and enamel
Graphite and Indian ink on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Study of Louis XVI decorative motif after Salambier
Cartier Paris, circa 1910
Ink on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Study of Louis XVI decorative motif after Salambier
Cartier Paris, circa 1910
Indian ink on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archives

Design for a tiara
Cartier Paris, circa 1906
Proposal for an execution in platinum and diamonds
Graphite and gouache on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archive

Design for a tiara
Cartier Paris, circa 1906
Proposal for an execution in platinum and diamonds
Graphite and gouache on tracing paper
Cartier Paris Archive