This exhibition dazzles and mesmerises in every way to celebrate the famed jeweller.
Exquisitely curated by Helen Molesworth and Rachel Garrahan, this celebratory exhibition brings together a huge and dazzling range of Cartier’s work, highlighting just why it the company still remains immensely popular to this day.
Beginning with the impressively designed Manchester Tiara, made in 1903 for the Dowager Duchess of Manchester, the exhibition charts the progress of the Cartier family as they went to bigger and bigger heights – including commissioning pieces for the Royal family.
Whether it is Grace Kelly’s stunning engagement ring, a selection of jewellery owned by the Duchess of Windsor and of course a section dedicated to the company’s iconic panther motif there is plenty here that visitors will want to linger over.
Each room is elegantly displayed, allowing the jewellery and other objects to shine in their own right, ensuring that visitors are left dazzled – particularly in the climax of the display: a room filled with tiaras that this writer would have loved to have the opportunity to try on!
Yet as well as the objects themselves, the exhibition effectively delves deep into the influences around the world that Cartier have used throughout their work. The first room in particular explores this really well to show how the culture of countries such as Japan, China and Egypt for example helped to form the direction in which the company took. Original designs displayed alongside the final piece are particularly fascinating to see.
Further along in the display is a fascinating film that shows in detail the process on making one of their famous panthers that reveals just how much care and attention is put into each piece of work and is worth watching from start to finish.
But it is not just jewellery that is displayed – there is also a whole section devoted to clocks and watches that reveal how the company were immensely creative in other ways to continue pushing the boundaries of what they were able to achieve.
One of the rooms that people will want to linger the most in is the one that focuses on the commissions that Cartier did for Royal families, in which visitors can see Queen Elizabeth II’s stunning 23.6 carat pink diamonds and an impressive necklace made as a private commission a special order for Sir Bhupindra, Maharaja of Patiala and of course a selection of broaches and other pieces of jewellery worn by the Duchess of Windsor.
The variety of objects that have been selected for display are impressive and all equally swoon worthy that a second visit is recommended to take in the magnificence in all over again.
Overall, this is a classy and elegant display that will leave visitors bedazzled.
by Emma Clarendon
Cartier is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum until the 29th October.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️