It’s not easy to translate in one word the French adjective «étourdissant», chosen by Cartier to describe his collection of fine jewelry. But you could use the sentence «as dazzling so much that stun you». In fact it is unique and special that surprise not only for the color and size of the stones, as would be assumed given the name. And, indeed, the great rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds are a classic fine jewelry precisely. Of course, there is also this in Étourdissant Cartier, but also all the stylistic history of the House, iconic themes declined in an astounding for materials and forms.

For example, take the famous Tutti Frutti design with gems, other than the usual four more precious gems. It could be a risk, but the elegance and harmony of the bracelet and earrings Été Indien, with garnets tangerine and eggplant colour, surrounding a rare from Ethiopia opal milky, shows the great skill of its craftsmen and the ability of those who draws them. Mix of colored stones and engraved for the ring with garnets Pushkar green and orange, and purple tanzanite, which is close to the traditional version represented by the bracelet Hyerabad (can be worn as a bracelet or choker), with a large central Colombian emerald carved, combined with rubies, sapphires and diamonds. The black, red and green, ie the typical colors of Art Deco and of the Maison, come back with onyx, coral with a special shade from orange and green with agates in place of jade in Teinte bracelet, flamboyant finery. Another reason taken from the past, it had been introduced in the forties by creative director Jeanne Toussaint, the beads baptized Coffee Bean for their shape, which like so many soft pink berries make up the line Arabica. And finally, the piece de resistance of the collection: the Romanov bracelet, with an extraordinary Ceylon sapphire of nearly 200 carats, about the size of a matchbox. It was belonged to Empress Russian Tsarina Maria Feodorovna. Admire him in these images because it seems to have already been sold. M.d.B.