The Great Grand Return of Cartier in Paris: How it takes your breath away

The crowns once adorned by royal families, the ‘Mysterious Pendules’ that took years to be produced, and the selections of precious stones such as rubies, sapphires, pearls, and corals are among the many intriguing Cartier treasures displayed.

For the first time, since 1989, Cartier is showcasing a rich mixture of different collections and themes in one exhibition. 538 hand picked precious jewels, clocks and “objets d’art” await your presence at the Grand Palais. The exhibition, ‘Cartier style and history’, taking place till February 16, 2014, also presents iconic figures’ personal Cartier jewels, such as the Duchess of Cambridge’s tiara, Maria Felix’s naturalistic snake necklace and animal brooches, as well as the Indian Maharajah De Patiala’s bib necklace that was reconstituted over a three-year period. The miniature panther at the end is just the icing on the royal Cartier cake.

“Each exhibition has it’s own selection, but like a concert, where the artist is invariably asked to perform his most famous melodies, some of our pieces are taken out of the vault at almost every opportunity,” says Pascal Lepeu, curator of the Cartier collection.

Not only is the exhibition a fairy tale to see up-close and personal, but also a nostalgic ride through Cartier’s history.

by Sima Maalouf, Victoria Romero Benitez & Tania Sanyal