Over 300 great jewels of Cartier in a major exhibition: there is also the Queen Elizabeth’s tiara worn by Kate Middleton ♦ ︎
There are jewelry company that resemble royal families. They have a long tradition behind them and, above all, they are considered by everyone (even by competitors) a span above the others. In short, there are Maison with blue blood. And, not by chance, they are also the favorites by royals, the real ones. One of these queens of jewelry is Cartier. Five years ago, Cartier decided to celebrate its rich tradition with a major exhibition in Paris, at the Grand Palais. Now, a little surprisingly, he replicates this exposure in Australia. The exhibition Cartier: The Exhibition is organized at the National Gallery in Canberra, city where is the Australian Parliament (no, it’s not in Sydney) and presents over 300 jewels, including owned by royal families who kindly lent them to the exhibition, or belonged to celebrities, more rare pieces that are part of the Cartier collection. There are tiaras, necklaces, brooches and earrings that are part of a piece of history: in all, 7776 diamonds, 1246 emeralds, 301 sapphires, 249 other colored gems of 3500 carats. Like the diamond brooch of the Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, the imperial jadeite necklace of the heiress Barbara Hutton, the 10.48-carat diamond engagement ring of Princess Grace of Monaco, the diamond and ruby necklace from Elizabeth Taylor (third husband’s gift Mike Todd).
Many of the exhibited pieces have a long history. Like the Halo Tiara, ordered by George VI to Cartier three weeks before becoming king , in 1936. The platinum tiara, with 739 round brilliant diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds, was for his future wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the queen mother). Which then gave the tiara to the future Queen of England, Elizabeth II, for the eighteenth birthday. The Halo Tiara was back to shine in public in 2011, worn by Kate Middleton for her marriage to Prince William.
The exhibition also includes a selection of original preparatory drawings, portraits, historical photographs, films, advertising material, tools for creating jewelry and equipment to provide an overview of Cartier history. Margherita Donato
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