WILD FANTASY

Indomptables de Cartier is a new collection of bracelets, necklaces and timepieces that evokes surreal encounters between the most beloved animals of the house’s signature menagerie. Inspired by ancient tête-à-tête jewellery, the popular 1930s two-headed Cartier bracelet design was revived in the ’50s by Jeanne Toussaint – the maison’s creative director then – who insisted on creating even more realistic wildlife interpretations. While the animals’ heads stay true to their form, their bodies are transformed: the crocodile’s scales now adorn the zebra, whose stripes swathe the panther. Meanwhile, the giraffe and tiger exchange their furs in a playful yet strong depiction. Featuring powerful volumes, the bold hybrid collection comprises 10 spectacular jewellery pieces, including five bracelets offered in either white gold paved with diamonds or in full yellow gold. In the former, the tiger comes face-to-face with the giraffe or, as shown here, the crocodile with the zebra. In the yellow gold pieces, the zebra is paired with the panther or crocodile, or the tiger with the giraffe, as featured here. Several labour-intensive setting techniques are employed to realise these new creations. Onyx is cut in a specific manner to fashion a zebra’s or panther’s nose, while the shagreen diamond setting adorning the animals in their bejewelled forms maximises every stone’s radiance. Even the fur setting is unique to each animal: Using the maison’s traditional jewellery-making techniques, a craftsman encircles each diamond with minuscule elongated and curved metal grains to transform them into fur threads that resemble the animal’s coat.