 
Luxury jeweller Cartier has opened a prestigious exhibition of their work at the Grand Palais in Paris. Unveiled on the 4th December, this spectacle will run until 16th February and features such iconic jewellery items as the tiara worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at her wedding, and also Elizabeth Taylor’s famed ruby necklace. The exhibition, entitled ‘Cartier: the Style and the History’, spans more than a century in terms of the timeframe of its displayed jewellery, with items from 1847 rubbing shoulders with luxuriant examples from contemporary 20th century times. One of the aims of the event is to display that, despite the many hardships and upheavals that have been experienced in the decades encompassed by the demonstration, the popularity of luxury jewellery has always remained undiminished.
More than 600 Cartier jewellery pieces have been gathered together beneath the glass and steel crown of the Grand Palais, although not all of these breathtaking items prioritise notable ostentation within their aesthetics. The Halo Diadem – worn by the Duchess of Cambridge – was unrecognised by many intrigued onlookers, and drew a considerable amount of attention purely for its simplicity and modesty when compared to many more daring jewellery pieces. Some of these latter creations include the Queen’s Williamson diamond brooch, widely considered to be the finest archetype of a pink diamond in history, the conker sized diamonds within the bib necklace of the Maharaja of Patiala, and the astonishing jewels of the Duchess of Windsor; a collection that includes a bewildering array of extravagant forms in precious metal and gorgeous stones.
The Cartier ‘Style and History’ event also brings a multitude of sketches, paintings and clothes into the light from Cartier’s extensive archives, and the entire manifestation has been organised independently by the joint curator of the Grand Palais. Cartier sits enthroned within the pantheon of France’s most legendary brand names, and the decision to honour them in such a way has come about due to the extraordinary interest in their history and heritage that has regularly been voiced. The collection ceases to display items fashioned by Cartier after 1970, as part of a conscious resolution to celebrate their past rather than their present, yet even this cut off point yields a spectacular assemblage of jewellery items that have been valued as utterly priceless.
Cartier is, of course, still manufacturing a full array of matchless jewellery even today, and items such as Cartier watches are regularly the subject of considerable acclaim. Cartier has often been hailed as the ‘jeweller to kings’, and these skills have only been honed over the century and a half that they have been in operation. Today’s Cartier concepts are just as impressive as they have ever been, and their timepieces in particular are eminently desirable luxury items; especially considering that they were a later addition to Cartier’s exalted anthology of work. Here at Banks Lyon we have a wide range of Cartier timepieces in stock this Christmas, including Cartier Tank Louis watches; one of the most popular variants from within one of Cartier’s most prominent lines. For more information, please feel free to call our professional team on 01524 38 48 58 now.
{star-snippet}