Schenelle Dsouza
Luxury jewellery designer Cartier unveiled its new high jewellery collection Beautés du Monde in Madrid, Spain on June 20.
If you’re wondering why Spain, it is because of the long-shared history between the city and Cartier. Cartier held its very first jewellery exhibition at the Ritz in Madrid, back in November 1922. Marking its centennial, it made perfect sense to revisit the city that saw the beginning. However, Cartier was associated with Spain much before its first exhibition, when King Alfonso XIII named Cartier the official supplier of jewellery to Spain’s aristocracy in 1904.
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Keeping up with the royal history, the new high jewellery collection was showcased at Madrid’s Palacio de Liria also called the Liria Palace, belonging to the dukes of Berwick and Alba. The exclusive event saw a handful of VIP guests, Cartier’s loyalists including Deepika Padukone, Lilly Collins, Yara Shahidi, Rami Malek, Vanessa Kirby and Black Pink’s Jisoo among others. The star studded event included a fancy soirée, a lavish cocktail hour and dinner in the gardens. Guests were also greeted to a private tour of the first floor of the residence which included a viewing of the families’ impressive private collection of works by Rubens, Titian, Goya, Greco and Rembrandt.
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The opulent architecture and glamorous decor was the perfect setting for the new high jewellery collection. Slated as one of Cartier’s largest collections till date, the exhibition showcased about 100 pieces which were the first chapter of the collection, in addition to pieces from other collections like Cartier’s High Jewellery, Cartier Tradition and Haute Horlogerie, not to mention a few refurbished vintage pieces as well.
Within the extensive collection was a selection of necklaces and rings inspired by the beauty of nature; these were the shining stars of Beautés du Monde. Scroll down to look at some of the highlights of the new collection.
The Iwana Necklace
The Iwana Necklace takes inspiration from the green iguana, particularly its skin. A weave of openwork triangular motifs paved with diamonds and emeralds replicate the shifts and motions of the iguana’s skin. These connect to the central motif which is made up of three hexagonal cabochon-cut Colombian emeralds weighing 43.31 carat. In true Cartier style, the design for the necklace was meticulously studied to create a highly flexible necklace that is as comfortable as it is stunning.
The Water Aspis Necklace
The Iwana Necklace takes inspiration from the green iguana, particularly its skin. A weave of openwork triangular motifs paved with diamonds and emeralds replicate the shifts and motions of the iguana’s skin. These connect to the central motif which is made up of three hexagonal cabochon-cut Colombian emeralds weighing 43.31 carat. In true Cartier style, the design for the necklace was meticulously studied to create a highly flexible necklace that is as comfortable as it is stunning.
The Rituel Necklace
Cartier’s Rituel Necklace honours the beauty of ornamental pieces, particularly traditional Mesoamerican jewellery. A stunning piece that revels in constrasts, the necklace is crafted in white gold and comprises a double row of azure chalcedony beads, an iridescent constellation of 25 oval-shaped Mozambique rubies weighing 23.27 carats, and brilliant cut diamonds.
The Nouchali Necklace
Inspired by the beauty of a water lily, the Nouchali Necklace has a captivating centre stone, crafted from a 10.61-carat rubellite surrounded by crystallized diamond petals. Made in three dimensions, this stylized flower is made up of jewelled, lacquered and articulated elements. Showcasing Cartier’s geometric skills, each petal on the flower has been meticulously shaped. The flower is surrounded with onyx and lilac-hued chalcedony beads which add a light, delicate drop giving the flower a floating on water image.
The Récif Necklace
A bright and beautiful pop of colour, the Récif necklace captures the nature and vivacity of the coral reefs using ribbed beads that snake around a diamond atoll. The rhythm is set by the intense chromatic contrast of orange and green. A 17.20-carat Zambian cabochon-cut emerald takes the centre stage, surrounded by a melon-cut emerald, coral beads, cabochon-cut emeralds, amethysts and brilliant-cut diamonds. The necklace celebrates Cartier’s signature style of impeccable weaving techniques.
The Apatura Necklace
An abstract composition of shimmering colours best defines the Apatura necklace. Exploring the delicate beauty of a butterfly’s wing, Cartier created this dazzling piece which can be worn in two ways, as a necklace or the as a brooch, by detaching the pendant. The necklace uses a number of different stones: diamonds, orange sapphire and sapphire balls to replicate the fires of the Australian opals. All in all, the necklace includes 3 cabochon-cut Australian opals totalling 21.86 carats, a 2.58-carat cushion-shaped East African orange sapphire, baguette-cut coloured sapphires, sapphire beads and brilliant-cut diamonds.
A Capsule Collection Consisting Of Seven Rings
Along with the necklaces, Cartier also unveiled a capsule collection of seven rings. These are all inspired by the natural world, lived and imagined, each taking you on a journey from the depths of the sea to the sky. These include a carapace from a drawing in an old biology book, a chimaera – Homer’s mythological creature, an ammonite fossil, a sea monster, a constellation, a geological crystallization, and a Chinese puzzle.
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