Divine Diamonds
Cartier brings its expertise in gemstone cutting and setting to light with unforgettable diamond pieces
The 83.5-carat Star of South Africa, the 107.7-carat Louis Cartier and the 245.35-carat Jubilee are just a few of the amazing diamonds that have passed through the expert hands of Cartier’s craftsmen. Time and again, these memorable gemstones are matched by perfect craftsmanship sustained by the exacting standards of the eye and hand. Dazzlingly pure, a D-colour IF (Internally Flawless) diamond of 30.21 carats was the central stone of the Pur Absolu necklace presented at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris in 2014. The radiance of the pear-shaped Type IIA gemstone (a designation earned by only 1 per cent of natural diamonds in the world) is magnified by a necklace that took 1,000 hours to bring to life.
This year, the quest for jewellery that brings unrivalled radiance continues with this exceptional pear-shaped diamond of 63.66 carats combined with the power of rock crystal, in a one-of-a-kind Cartier bracelet that took more than 2,000 hours of work to complete.
The technique of making settings and metal disappear in favour of clarity and weightlessness is a skill that Cartier has acquired and developed since the 1900s. “By making the metal disappear, Cartier has allowed a revolution in jewellery,” says Pierre Rainero, image and style director of the maison. “At Cartier, there are no small or large diamonds; from a row of diamonds on a bracelet or choker to an engagement ring, from pavé-set creations to exceptional necklaces, the diamond is a privileged protagonist, always treated with the same respect.”
A virtuoso of the mille grain and lily-of-the-valley settings, as well as the baguette cut, Cartier’s style transcends genres and eras. At 13 Rue de la Paix Paris, the Cartier workshops are a kingdom that resembles a succession of high precision laboratories. A High Jewellery piece can require up to 3,000 hours’ work. “We direct the scenario of diamonds,” explains Xavier Gargat, director of the workshops. “Our profession consists of creating the structure, translating the volumes.” Today, 130 people work at the heart of these workshops, and at least ten years’ experience is required to be able to work on a High Jewellery piece.
Cartier’s signature comes in the way jewels have enhanced proportions and shapes, of magnifying the sparkle of a stone in unexpected ways. On a constant quest for perfection, all the jewellers’ efforts work toward this result, to make Cartier creations as beautiful on the back as they are on the front.