A TRYST WITH NATURE
Binding the evocative power of precious stones with the refinement of craftsmanship, CARTIER’S [SUR] Naturel high jewellery collection goes beyond the real, fusing wilderness and fantasy
THE NATURAL WORLD has been the foundation of art and culture since the beginning of time. This especially holds true with jewellery, as creators combine precious stones and metals to replicate the natural look of water, flora, fauna, and animals in their many supernatural facets.
Nature is a classical decorative motif that has captured the imagination of maison Cartier through its history.the house has expressed this singularity through its exceptional savoir-faire with Jeanne Toussaint’s Panthère, followed by Caresse D’orchidées as well as a menagerie of wildlife-inspired objet d’art. The timeless elegance of these collections continues to hold a magnetic sway amongst aficionados decade after decade.
For its latest high jewellery collection [SUR] Naturel, the masion delves into the depth of this inspiration to reveal nature through creations that are caught somewhere between figuration and abstraction. Showcasing the most precious, archaic, and mysterious stones, the creators intensify the stones’ evocative powers, blending wilderness with fantasy. Diamonds, emeralds and sapphires are combined with opal and kunzite, coral and aquamarine, beryl and quartz, to show off their transparency and effects of depth.
Cartier’s legacy of craftsmanship and its adept ability to immortalise nature in art is brought forth in the collection comprising five exquisite necklaces and a wristwatch. Key pieces include the colourful Hemis necklace that reinterprets panther fur using irregular shapes of opal, uneven distribution of diamonds, and a combination of fine, precious stones set in an organic yet hybrid-like dimension that intrigues and entices. The placement of the central kunzite gem, totalling 71.80 carats, stands out in part due to its striking pavilion; a technical feat in terms of craftsmanship as the jeweller designed a complex structure to align all the surrounding stones. The structural play between smooth opals, kunzite and a shagreen setting lends the necklace an organic, natural and random character.
The Panthère continues its creative exploration through a Tropical Wristwatch which brings forth a new hybrid. The powerful contrast of colours, materials and bold graphic rendering gives birth to a new creature made of gold and coral, speckled with onyx stones and diamonds – reminiscent of panther spots. By combining gadrooned coral with yellow gold in a panther motif with aquamarines and tourmalines, Cartier has created a piece that is unique yet remains anchored in the stylistic history of the maison, following specifically in the footsteps of the visionary Jeanne Toussaint.
The crocodile-inspired Gharial necklace is yet another creation that is symbolic of Cartier’s love for exotic wildlife. In this majestic creation, the creature is brought to life with diamonds and emeralds, ingeniously set to incorporate different depths, volumes and materials. An impressive ensemble of five Zambian emeralds, totalling 11.31 carats, give the animal presence, colour, vibrancy, shape and size. This uniform array is followed by a series of smaller stones that are also from Zambia. The necklace features a double pendant consisting of elongated kiteshaped diamonds at the end, whose asymmetrical arrangement brings a certain dynamic quality and tension to the design. The result goes beyond the realms of realism and is highly evocative.
The organic flow of the Sinopé necklace is a poetic reference to the ultimate source of life, water. In this highly stylised interpretation, artisans create a sapphire and diamond necklace with curves and counter-curves that capture the crystalclear quality of water as ice, or rippling waves. Boasting a scalloped lapis lazuli edge beneath the neck, the structure comprises of other small pieces linked together and set with diamonds, and five Ceylon sapphires on the rounded outer edge. The lapis lazuli edge is a stroke of gem-cutting mastery that required cutting hard stones into tiny curved pieces; a delicate work of art that is characteristic of Cartier.
Over two decades ago, Cartier adopted a powerful motto, ‘l’art d’être unique’, translating to the art of being unique in its creations, pushing boundaries of jewellery design and aesthetics, defining traditional expectations. With [SUR] Naturel, the maison uses this philosophy as its canvas for creativity, presenting a richness of its style, the refinement of its expertise, paving the way to a transfigured, supernatural beauty.
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