Matthew Ashton

Written by

Matthew Ashton

Reviewed by William Cooper

3 minute read

Updated 17th September 2024

We continue our popular History Of… series by looking at the much loved jewellery brand – Cartier.

Three significant events shaped the words in 1847, the Bronte sisters release Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, it is believed the photograph of lightning was taken by Thomas Martin Easterly, and a certain 27-year-old Louis-Francois Cartier takes over his master’s workshop and founds Maison Cartier.

Since being established, the Cartier brand has grown from humble beginnings into a household name synonymous with elegance and expert craftsmanship. In 2023, the iconic brand was estimated to be valued at a colossal $12.5 billion.

Cartier: “Jeweller of Kings and King of Jewellers”

The brand was first catapulted into high society in 1856 when Princess Mathilde (cousin of Emperor Napoleon III) asked Louis-Francois Cartier to repair her necklace for her.

To this day the brand has remained a royal favourite. The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton even wore the Cartier Halo tiara (which was purchased by King George VI, in 1936, as a gift for the Queen Mother) at her wedding to Prince William in 2011.

It was King Edward VII himself who described Cartier as ‘Jeweller of Kings and King of Jewellers’ following his coronation. Cartier was even awarded the British Royal Warrant soon after in 1902.

The second generation of Cartier

In 1898, the grandson of the Louis-Francois Cartier, Louis Cartier (they never make it easy do they?), joined the family business. In his first year, he established a boutique in Paris and pioneered a new style combining platinum with a neoclassical twist named the ‘Garland style’. Speaking of, Louis, we cannot write about him without mentioning that in 1904, Louis Cartier took a modern take on a classic timepiece by creating the “first watch specially designed to be worn on the wrist”. You could say, he was ahead of his time… Louis’ brother, Pierre Cartier, later opened a boutique in London in 1902 which coincided with the coronation of King Edward VII (who we mentioned previously was a bit of a fan of the brand). Within the next decade the youngest of the three Cartier brothers, Jacques, joins the family business and Cartier opens a boutique across the pond in New York City.

“The Panther” of Cartier

Fast forward to 1933, when Jeanne Toussaint took over the role as creative director for Cartier from Louis Cartier. Toussaint had worked with the brand since 1920 and she stayed on as creative director until 1970. Toussaint was often referred to as “The Panther”.

You may already know that the Cartier brand has an association with panthers, but do you know the reason behind this? It is believed that the panther symbol was chosen by Louis in tribute to Toussaint who he called his ‘Petite Panthere’. She had a fondness for exotic big cats and even wore a coat made from panther fur. By the time Toussaint retired in 1970, her love for the animals had been interwoven into the Cartier history forever. The brand’s Cartier Panthere line still proves popular with collectors today. One such piece from the collection sold for a whopping $355,000 at auction in 2022.

Cartier today

Cartier often partners with famous faces to showcase their brand including musicians Troye Sivan and Willow Smith, and actors Paul Mescal, Maisie Williams and Rami Malek. To celebrate the launch of their new collection, Cartier recently partnered with Emily in Paris star, Lily Collins. The campaign featured around how to spend 24 hours in Paris while sporting the Maison’s most essential creations ensuring you spend the summer in style. Three stunning timepieces were showcased in the campaign including the Baignoire yellow gold watch, the Tank Louis Cartier watch in rose gold and finally the Santos De Cartier watch. Which of those would you like to add to your collection next?

Cartier: Building a beautiful legacy

As we discovered with Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier is no stranger to championing strong female leaders. In 2006, Cartier founded The Cartier Women’s Initiative, a program that aims to empower women to drive sustainable social and/or environmental change. The program is open to all women-run and women-owned businesses from any sector worldwide. Since 2006, 224 women have completed the program.

In addition to this, Cartier also founded The Cartier Philanthropy Foundation which aims to “improve the standard of living of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children living in the world’s least developed regions”.

These initiatives show that Cartier is looking to make the world a more beautiful place in more ways than one.


Sources

Who We Are (cartierwomensinitiative.com

Cartier Women’s Initiative – The Fellows (cartierwomensinitiative.com)

Cartier Philanthropy

The Impact of Cartier’s Creative Ambassadors – Banks Lyon

Cartier Summer 2024: Enjoy summer holidays with the Maison’s picks.

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage#1933

https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/how-jeanne-toussaint-inspired-and-popularized-the-iconic-cartier-panthere

https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/the-8-most-expensive-cartier-watch-models-sold-at-auction

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage#1904

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage#1902

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage#1856

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage#1856

https://www.tatler.com/article/cartier-and-the-royal-family

https://www.berganza.com/feature-cartier-the-jeweller-of-kings-and-the-king-of-jewellers.html#:~:text=In%201902%2C%20Cartier%20opened%20their,and%20the%20King%20of%20Jewellers

https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1847

https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1847

https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/maison/the-story/story-and-heritage

https://www.statista.com/statistics/980726/cartier-brand-value-worldwide/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20Cartier%20brand,billion%20U.S.%20dollars%20in%202018.

Written by Matthew Ashton

I started working in the insurance industry in 2004. Four years later, I left to focus on theological studies, working as a youth worker and then as a ministry director in Seattle, USA. When returning to the UK, I had an opportunity to work for the late Andrew Marchington. I joined his firm as a sales advisor when it had around ten staff members. Within three years, I was Head of Ops with a staff team of over 30 people. After a chance encounter in 2019 with Rachel Living and Will Cooper, I co-started Stanhope to build a high-value home, luxury watch, and jewellery broker synonymous with trust. I love being with Donna, my wife, and four kids when not working, cramming in the odd row, or run when I can. I am fortunate to love what I do and consider it a blessing to grow the Stanhope brand.

Matthew Ashton

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