Soapbox & Opinions

The saying goes that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants. For jewellers, few giants loom larger than Cartier. Beyond the glamour lies more than a century of innovation, craftsmanship, and arguably unrivalled commercial vision.

The greatest jewellers never stop learning

Posted August 01, 2026 | By Jeweller Staff

What does it take to reach the peak? AMANDA DUNSMORE warns the next generation of jewellers not to miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the very best.

The saying goes that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants.

For jewellers, few giants loom larger than Cartier. Beyond the glamour lies more than a century of innovation, craftsmanship, and arguably unrivalled commercial vision.

Now, for the first time, Australia’s next generation of jewellers has their chance to stand on those shoulders – and it’s an opportunity you must not miss.

The National Gallery of Victoria’s 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition CARTIER is one of the most spectacular exhibitions of jewellery ever seen in Australia. The exhibition traces Cartier’s enduring legacy in art, design and craftsmanship, spanning the Maison’s
rise in the early 20th century through to its most contemporary creations.

The Melbourne iteration of the exhibition has been developed in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum with support from Cartier.

In particular, our exhibition is considerably larger, featuring almost 400 dazzling jewels, objects d’art and timepieces, many of which were not seen in London and many of which have never been seen before in Australia.

A unique feature is also the rich selection of archival material, including design drawings, sketchbooks, plaster casts, photographs, and other documentary materials that provide a fascinating insight into the making and inspiration behind these jewels.

It's these sketchbooks, working drawings and design studies that may prove the exhibition's greatest reward for today's jewellers, revealing not just the finished masterpieces, but the creative process behind them.

The exhibition opens with the magnificent Manchester tiara of 1903, heralding Cartier’s new Garland Style and the transformation of the family business into an international enterprise.

This is when the founder’s three grandsons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, took charge and turned the firm into a global company, Cartier’s history being closely aligned with many of the most significant events and influential people of the 20th century.

"Today's jewellers continue to draw inspiration from diverse cultures, art, and architecture. Seeing how Cartier transformed those influences into a distinctive design language offers a valuable perspective for designers developing their own creative voice."

Each of the brothers brought unique skills; Louis was the creative one, driving the design direction of the Maison and running the Paris boutique at 13, rue de la Paix. Pierre was the entrepreneur and renowned for his business skills; he established the London boutique in 1902 and went on to found the New York boutique in 1909.

The youngest brother, Jacques, was the gemstone specialist. He travelled to India and the Middle East on many occasions, developing client relationships and sourcing some of the world’s most significant gemstones. In 1906, Jacques took over the running of the London branch.

During the first decade of the new century, Louis brought design in-house and introduced the Garland Style, encouraging his designers to go out into the streets and take inspiration from 18th-century architecture, particularly the wrought-iron railings of Parisian apartment buildings.

The jewels of this period took on a greater lightness of design, incorporating floral garlands, scrolls, bows and tassels. Louis also introduced the use of platinum at this time, replacing the traditional approach of setting gemstones in gold and silver.

It was a revolutionary shift, the high tensile strength of platinum allowing for much lighter and more ambitious designs to be realised, the silver metal also complementing the flickering of the white diamonds under the new electric lighting.

This early adoption of platinum is a reminder that innovation has always been at the heart of great jewellery making.

The first few decades of the 20th century were extremely formative. In addition to bringing design in-house, Louis also brought manufacturing in-house and began looking to other cultures for design inspiration.

Russia, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Iran, and the Islamic world all became sources of inspiration for Cartier’s designers, and the exhibition explores these diverse cultural influences; the display of the magnificent jewels here is complemented by a rich selection of archival material from Cartier’s archives.

Today's jewellers continue to draw inspiration from diverse cultures, art, and architecture. Seeing how Cartier transformed those influences into a distinctive design language offers a valuable perspective for designers developing their own creative voice.

From here, the exhibition follows a loosely chronological progression while exploring key aspects of Cartier’s legacy, including their design inspiration, exceptional gemstones, the tradition and innovation
in their craftsmanship and the clients that commissioned and wore these jewels, from international royalty to celebrities and film stars.

"Perhaps the greatest lesson is that Cartier's success wasn't built on design alone. Creativity, technical expertise and commercial leadership worked together. It’s a combination every successful jewellery business continues to rely upon today."

The exhibition has a special focus on Cartier’s famed mystery clocks and wristwatch designs as well as a room dedicated to movie stars, their legendary patronage of Cartier and the Maison's long-standing collaboration with the film industry.

The exhibition comes to a spectacular close with a room full of tiaras spanning the 20th century and illustrating the breadth of cultural inspiration for which Cartier is famous. The tiara occupies a position
at the very apex of jewellery forms.

It has been worn for millennia and is charged with the most potent of symbolism, associated with royal crowns and their nearness to the divine as well as embodying notions of power, wealth and status.

Tiaras are the ultimate expression of the designer’s ambition and the jewellers’ technical prowess. This timeless majesty that tiaras embody is the perfect way to close this most exceptional exhibition of spectacular jewels.

Perhaps the greatest lesson is that Cartier's success wasn't built on design alone. Creativity, technical expertise and commercial leadership worked together. It’s a combination every successful jewellery business continues to rely upon today.

Everyone agrees that the finest jewellers never stop learning. They study great design, exceptional craftsmanship, and the bold ideas that redefine what's possible.

This is your chance to experience the legacy of one of the world's greatest jewellery stories and return to your bench ready to leave your own mark.

Name: Amanda Dunsmore
Business: National Gallery of Victoria
Position: Senior Curator
Location: Melbourne, VIC
Years in the industry: 25

Watch Video

NGV 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces
Cartier

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

The Cartier Style

Necklace Cartier London, 1932, special order emerald (143.23 carats), diamonds, platinum Commissioned by Beatrice Mills, Countess of Granard Cartier Collection	Necklace Cartier Paris, 1936, special order, modified in 1963 sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, platinum, white gold Commissionned by Daisy Fellowes, French socialite Cartier Collection	Brooch, originally set as a head ornament Cartier Paris, 1922 platinum, yellow gold, diamonds, enamel Cartier Collection	Twin chimera-head bangle Cartier Paris, 1961 emeralds, diamonds, coral, platinum, white gold, yellow gold Sold to Daisy Fellowes, French socialite Cartier Collection

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

Cartier's Panther: Evolution of a Motif

Panther-pattern wristwatch Cartier Paris, 1914 diamonds, onyx, platinum, rose gold, moire Cartier Collection	Necklace Cartier Paris, 1935, special order star rubies (82.13 carats total), rubies, enamel, gold Cartier Collection	Panther clip brooch Cartier Paris, 1949 sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, platinum, white gold Owned by Daisy Fellowes, French socialite Private collection	Necklace Cartier, 2014 greenish yellow beryl (121.8 carats), green sapphire (4.31 carats), diamonds, natural pearls, sculpted black jade, onyx, platinum Cartier Collection

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

An Obsession with Stones

Necklace Cartier Paris, special order, 1951 rubies, diamonds, platinum, yellow gold, white gold Platinum, yellow gold, diamonds, rubies Made as a special order for Lady Deterding Cartier Collection	Bracelet Cartier, 2015 opal (189.345 carats), blue sapphires, purple sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, white gold Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier London, 1937 aquamarines, diamonds, platinum Cartier Collection	Necklace Cartier Paris, 1934 jadeite beads, platinum, gold, diamonds, rubies Cartier Collection

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

Jeanne Toussaint

Bib necklace Cartier Paris, 1947, special order amethysts, turquoise, diamonds, platinum, gold Commissioned by the Duke of Windsor, who supplied the amethysts and diamonds, for the Duchess of Windsor Cartier Collection	Panther clip brooch Cartier Paris, 1949 Platinum, white gold, diamonds, sapphires including one 152.35-carat cabochon-cut sapphire. Owned by the Duchess of Windsor Cartier Collection	Freed bird brooch Cartier Paris, 1944 sapphire, diamonds, lapis lazuli, galalith (originally coral), platinum, gold Cartier Collection	Coffee bean necklace Cartier Paris, 1956, special order diamonds, platinum, gold Cartier Collection

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

Technical Ingenuity: Timepieces

Model a mystery clock Cartier Paris, 1914 Platinum, gold, rock crystal, white agate, sapphires, diamonds, white enamel Cartier Collection	Tank wristwatch Cartier Paris, 1920 platinum, gold, sapphire, leather Cartier Collection	Crash wristwatch Cartier London, 1967 sapphire, yellow gold, rose gold, leather Cartier Collection	Carabiner watch Cartier, 2024 sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, spinels, chrysoprase, lapis lazuli, turquoise, white gold Cartier Collection

Installation view of CARTIER on display from 12 June to 4 October 2026, at NGV International, Melbourne. | Photo: NGV/Sean Fennessy

Tiaras: Pinnacle of the Jeweller's Art

Scroll Tiara Cartier Paris, 1910, modified in 1912 diamonds, platinum Sold to Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier Paris, 1907, special order diamonds, natural pearls, platinum Owned by Princess Marie Bonaparte, great-grandniece of Napoleon Bonaparte Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier London, 1936, special order diamonds, turquoise, platinum Commissioned by the Hon. Robert Henry Brand, British civil servant and businessman Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier London, 1930 diamonds, turquoise, platinum Owned by Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, American-born British politician Private collection


Bandeau Cartier New York, 1924, special order diamonds, natural pearl, platinum Owned by Nanaline Duke and passed down to her daughter, American philanthropist and socialite Doris Duke Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier London, 1937 citrines (including one of 62.35 carats), diamonds, platinum, gold Cartier Collection	Tiara Cartier Paris, 1914 diamonds, natural pearls, onyx, enamel, platinum Cartier Collection	Sun Tiara Cartier Paris, 1907 (current fancy intense yellow diamond set in 2013) fancy intense yellow diamond (32.58 carats), diamonds, platinum, gold The Al Thani Collection