THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL
Following its debut in June, Cartier presents the Beautés du Monde collection through an exclusive exhibition in Singapore. Anindya Devy reports.
CARTIER RECOGNISES THE BEAUTY of the world wherever it may be. The Maison inherited this vision from the Cartier brothers, who travelled the world, observed it, drew inspiration from it and reinvented it – always with artistry and savoir-faire in mind. Seeing the beauty of the world, preserving it and – above all – enriching it, are values that have continuously influenced Cartier’s philosophy. The Maison’s thematic high jewellery collection, Beautés du Monde, is a testament to this fascination with the diversity of beauty that is so dear to the brand.
Following the thematic collection’s debut in June this year, Cartier brought the collection to life in Singapore, the first destination after its launch in Madrid. Beautés du Monde illustrates the French brand’s ability to both admire and enhance beauty through design, tension of lines, geometry and abstraction. In Beautés du Monde, a coral reef winds along a dazzling necklace, the skin of an iguana inspires a geometric matrix and a Chinese puzzle reveals a kaleidoscopic ring.
The choice of stones, in particular, reflects the elements of nature as well as the cultures that inspired this new collection. Cartier has always worked with the greatest respect for precious stones through the care it takes to ensure their provenance and enhance their beauty.
Looking back a bit to the start of Beautés du Monde’s journey, the Madrid exhibition was held at Palacio de Liria, the residence of the XIX Duke of Alba, one of Spain’s most preeminent families. For its trip to Singapore, the collection was housed in the Grand Ballroom of Capella Singapore. The scenography of the exhibition took after installation in Madrid, which was designed and orchestrated by Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon.
The Grand Ballroom of Capella Hotels is Singapore’s first and only circular ballroom with a
glass-dome that allows sunlight to shine in. The dome is actually a glass sculpture by San Franciscobased artist Nikolas Weinstein. For this special occasion, circular ballroom was turned into a little world of Beautés du Monde by combining soothing lighting, pleasing colours and smooth rounded arches, home windows and frames.
As I arrived at the space, two Cartier bell boys stood by at the entrance, guarding the entryway to the exhibition room. Inside were five different archway designs, symbolizing the five thematic rooms within the exhibition area. These five different shapes were also seen on the walls of the reception and sitting area, and featured different textures as well.
Access to the Beautés du Monde exhibition was strictly by invitation only. There were 220 creations on display at Capella Singapore, which were divided into the five aforementioned thematic rooms: the Cultural World, World of Wildlife, Mineral World, Special Orders and Diamond and Centre Stones.
“Observing the beauty of the world in all its forms, in order to better share” is perhaps the best way to explain the exhibition. Naturally, there were several standouts from the collection that deserve special attention. First would be the Synesthesie Necklace and Earring, displayed at the Cultural World. For the Synesthesie necklace, Cartier’s jewellers have designed a structure of dazzling fluidity around a hexagonal Colombian emerald. Remarkable for its natural crystallisation, it weighs over 35.47 carats. The individually selected emerald beads unfold into a delicately draped piece that builds to a crescendo without any break in the design. The rows are separated by tiny turquoise squares cut with the greatest finesse and set with a diamond. On the back, the craftsmanship of the links produces an entirely articulated, lace-like creation. The main motif may be worn as a brooch.
Also featured in the Cultural World room is the Giravolta necklace and earring. The necklace is created entirely structured by its gemstones. A string of half-moon-shaped rubies, edged with a paved setting, intertwines with a repeating pattern of baguette-cut diamonds to form a rhythmic composition. As for the earrings, they feature the same half-moon shaped rubies and diamonds composition, but in a pavé setting. This subtly architectural design stands out for its singularly rhythmic and melodious character.
Cartier has sought and found subjects of
inspiration from the world of nature, which it has then transformed. Fauna and flora formed the core of this influence, whether figurative or stylised. This ambition of beauty – which is emblematic of Cartier – has been developed through technical advances that have been adapted to each of the Maison’s major creative trends. This is particularly evident through specific technique, that allow sources of movement, especially the so-called “trembling” setting, which allows pin brooches from the 1950s to come to life with the slightest movement, or highly technical articulation as seen on the Palmier brooch in platinum, rubies and diamonds from 1957. Also worth mentioning is María Félix’s necklace with two lifelike crocodiles created in 1975. In this way, Cartier reveals and develops its expertise, employing practices that have emerged throughout its history as well as invoking today’s techniques. The Maison uses complex ancient techniques as well as current innovations, both of which its craftsmen have perfectly mastered.
In the World of Wildlife room, one of the main highlights was the Iwana necklace. It celebrates the mastery of cuts alongside the art of composition. The meticulous detail and suppleness of the piece evoke the skin of a reptile – an iguana, to be precise. The central motif is made up of three Colombian emeralds weighing 43.45 carats in a unique shape: cabochon-cut hexagons with very pronounced edges. The facets of the cabochons multiply into a weave of openwork triangular motifs, set or paved with diamonds and emeralds.
Deceptively simple, the construction is a masterful assembly of triangles, whose location and orientation have been rigorously studied and fixed. Linked together with tiny metal rings, these countless diamond and emerald triangles create a highly flexible necklace. The Iwana necklace follows the neck as closely as possible and settles naturally on the skin. This comfort, which is self-evident, is the result of the Maison’s genuine expertise.
The icon of the Maison, the panther, also put on a show in the collection. The numerous pieces showcasing the many sides of the panther serves as a reminder of how the trademark feline was there for many iconic events in the Maison’s history. Furthermore, the panther is a symbol of femininity – a fierce, independent type of femininity that was new to the world when the Panthère de Cartier was created. It is truly a timeless Maison icon that can be easily reinvented time and time again.
One of the most mesmerizing pieces from the collection, the Panthère Héroïque necklace, earrings and ring, for instance, was inspired by a palm tree. The design unfolds in a foliare arrangement of green and blue-green sapphires, heightened by the solar radiance of yellow diamonds or sapphires. Particularly flexible, the piece hints at the organic character of nature, all the way to the tour de cou that resembles a tree trunk. In small touches, gems with geometric shapes bring a stylised note — and a cadenced punctuation — to this remarkably realistic ensemble. And seen on top of the emerald and in the middle of the necklace, the panther perch so casually. The handcrafted set took reportedly 1,009 hours to finish.
Also showcased along the new Beautés du Monde high jewellery collection were a number of highlights and classics from the house of Cartier. There was the Pankha parure in the Tutti Frutti style – another icon of the Maison in a tricolour marvel. Then there’s the Indomptables de Cartier, a recently launched collection that is inspired by the zebra, giraffe, tiger and crocodile, where they are playfully intertwined in a dynamic expression of savoir-faire and precision. Other notable displays include transformable high jewellery pieces like the Nitescence necklace and tiara, along with haute horlogerie novelties featuring the iconic panther emblem, and more.
Following the experience, Cartier held a gala dinner on the next day. For this event, the Maison turned the 2,000-seat Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay into a breath-taking setting for the evening. The stage was turned into a sumptuous backdrop to four rows of dining tables, as if the guests are now the main attractions too for the night. The dinner was hosted by Cecile Naour, Chief Executive Office, South East Asia and Oceania, together with Anne Yitzhakov, Managing Director Singapore, Malaysia and ASEAN. The banquet was exclusively curated by Mauro Colagreco, chef and owner of the tree-Michelin-starred Mirazur and Fiamma, at Capella Singapore. The meal was then followed by an aerial performance, a parade of the collections and – for the closing act – famed American vocal group Sister Sledge accompanied the guests as they danced well into the night.