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Cartier

by Julie MIALET 07 Dec 2019

"The Jeweler Of Kings And The King Of Jewelers"

HISTORY

The Cartier House was founded in 1847 by Louis François Cartier. Settled in Paris, rue Montorgueil, he took over the jeweler’s craft from his master.
Five years later, the first store opened at 5 rue Neuve Des Petits Champs, today rue des Petits Champs.
In 1874, Alfred Cartier took over the family business, which moved to 9 boulevard des Italiens.
Alfred’s sons: Pierre, Jacques and Louis inherited of the business.

In 1899, the Cartier house moved to 13 rue de la Paix, in Paris.

Pierre opened a shop in London and obtained the patent of official supplier of the British crown for the coronation of King Edward the VIIth. On this occasion the king ordered 27 tiaras and described Cartier as “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers”. In 1909, he opened a boutique in New York by buying a whole building on 5th Avenue in exchange for a natural pearl necklace. He installed a huge clock on the facade, decorated with a French rooster and an American eagle.
Jacques became a medalist engraver within the Cartier workshops.

The oldest, Louis Cartier is the one who made the brand renowned. He traveled a lot searching for exceptional stones. He then opened a studio of creation. Cartier was one of the only brands who had their own studio. He became the artistic director of Cartier and the Cartier style was gradually installed. He imposed the platinum in jewels in the early 1900s.

In 1925, he created a ring with Jean Cocteau. It was a combination of yellow gold, red gold and platinum. In 1998, this ring was named Trinity. It was the first time that a great jeweler created a jewel only made of metal.

FAMOUS CLIENTS

Since the beginning of the 20th century, Cartier has had many clients who were celebrities or from royal families. Tsar Nicholas II, Mary of Romania, Princess Mathilde (niece of Napoleon I), Wallis Simpson, Grace Kelly, Doris Duke, Tina Turner, Sharon Stone, the Kardashian family.
Gunter Sachs offered bracelets to Brigitte Bardot for their wedding anniversary.

THE SANTOS WATCH

Cartier stands out from other brands thanks to its wristwatches. In 1904, Louis Cartier created with his friend, the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos, a watch with a leather strap, which has been sold since 1911.
The Cartier House continues to sell a wide range of watches, the best known being La Panthere, La Tank, La Ballon Bleu, La Baignoire.

JEANNE TOUSSAINT

In 1933, Louis Cartier entrusted the artistic direction of the brand to his friend Jeanne Toussaint. She created what became the emblem of the brand, the Panther jewel.

During the occupation, she created a pin representing a caged bird. Because of this jewel, she was interrogated by the Gestapo. She was released with the help of her friend Gabrielle Chanel. After the liberation, she adapted the jewel, which became “the liberated bird”.

This designer deeply influenced the style of the house and created a true brand identity. She stayed at Cartier until 1970.

CARTIER'S STYLE AND MYTHIC PIECES

The Cartier's style is quite recognizable. At the beginning of the 20th century, Louis Cartier’s creations were pratically only Art Deco (he usually made platinum brooches and necklaces).
The panther is the symbol of the house and today this motif comes in rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

 

 

The LOVE bracelet: the ultimate proof of love, timeless and an unprecedented success since 1969, the year it was created by the Italian-born designer Aldo Cippulo (1942-1984) for Cartier.

In the Peace & Love context of the late 60s and early 70s, Cartier's commission to Aldo Cippulo was to create “modern love cuffs”. Thus was born the LOVE bracelet that once worn on the wrist, can no longer be removed.

A unisex model, a symbol of love, available in 3 golds and in different forms: as a ring, bracelet, earring and necklace, with or without diamonds.

Then in 1971 he created the Juste Un Clou collection, which did not meet the dazzling success of the LOVE bracelet.

The models even ceased to be produced in the early 80s.

Relaunched in 2012 by Cartier, the Clou collection, a unisex model, remains faithful to the original model and is still made in the 3 golds, in rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces, with or without diamonds.

For the last 10 years, this model has proven to be a commercial success and its notoriety continues to grow.

The Trinity collections, the Nail Bracelet and the Love bracelet are the bestsellers of the brand nowadays.

If you are interested in Cartier’s jewels, don’t hesitate to discover what les Pierres de Julie have to offer in the store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your Cartier jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Welcome to our store in the Swiss village of the 15th arrondissement of Paris!

 

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