Beauties of the World: focus on the latest Cartier jewelry collection
Our world is fast-moving. Trends are fleeting, technologies are constantly changing. As we have seen, even our lifestyles can be easily altered. As a reaction to all this, we can be driven by a paradoxical desire for the status quo. Jewelry offers this stability, especially the pieces from Beautés du Monde , Cartier ’s latest collection .
The Beauties of the World collection by Cartier in a few words
Beautés du Monde represents the house’s quest to discover and capture the essence of natural wonders. Notably through a vast array of natural phenomena and historical natural sources of inspiration. Examples include iguanas, coral reef atolls , water lilies , ammonite fossils and snakes , both real and mythological. This collection also represents the opportunity to offer landmarks through timeless luxury jewelry.
“ We are living in a golden age of fine jewelry because of its intrinsic timelessness and its eternal factor. Because it is a sector that evolves by taking into account how the passage of time affects people, how they identify with their jewelry and the symbolic power of the pieces. If you decide to delve deeply into these evolutions, you are more likely to create jewelry that lasts over time .” – Pierre Rainero
Why a presentation in Madrid?
Exclusivity, eternity and beauty are the attributes that characterize Cartier’s high jewelry . Pieces designed around unique stones are presented at exclusive events that take place only once a year in major international cities. On the occasion of the presentation of its new high jewelry collection, Beautés du Monde , Cartier brought together buyers from all over the world in Madrid for the first time in its history. What they have in common: they are prepared to invest sums that can reach six figures in a luxury jewel.
" Cartier feels good in Spain, for historical and cultural reasons. But there is also a pragmatic factor. We thought Madrid was an extraordinary destination and a good opportunity to surprise our clients . Indeed, many of them do not know the city or what it has become, " said Rainero.
The source of inspiration for Beautés du Monde jewelry
This collection of high jewelry, whose main source of inspiration is the beauty of the world, echoes the splendors and curiosities of nature . For example, it offers us a set that exalts the magnificent iridescence of a butterfly wing or the resplendent scales of an iguana.
The jewels thus refer, sometimes subtly, sometimes ostentatiously, to the emblematic animals which are part of Cartier's imagination :
- The Panther
- The snake
- The crocodile
Jewels featuring emeralds, corals and diamonds that, following the Maison’s tradition of transformable jewels , are removable and can be used on other supports or worn alone. “ This collection offers a repertoire of new forms that did not exist and that can be understood in different ways, ” explained Rainero. “ This ambiguity of interpretation allows us to project what we want to see. Everyone can have their own vision of the jewel. ”
An iconic place of brutalist architecture listed in Madrid renovated especially to present the Beauties of the World jewelry
Cartier pulled out all the stops to present 100 pieces of jewelry from the Beautés du monde collection in Madrid. In addition to the gala at the 18th-century Liria Palace, Cartier transformed a masterpiece of brutalist architecture into a temporary museum
The former British Embassy in Madrid has been empty since 2009. Standing out from the more classically designed palaces and residences in the area, this rounded monolithic building was designed in 1966. Two architects are behind its atypical plans: the British WS Bryant and the Madrid native Luis Blanco-Soler. In line with the brand's key principle of preserving its heritage, Cartier has completely renovated and preserved the entire building . On June 13, 2022, the result of this spectacular renovation was revealed.
The exhibition’s scenography was designed by local design star Jaime Hayon . He told the Financial Review: “ The first day I came, I said it’s beautiful. But there’s a problem. You get lost in all these circles. So I decided to leave some windows open. That allowed nature to come in and help you find your way around. It also needed to bring in softness, more light, more calm, because this building is heavy. It’s brutal. ”
