CARTIER & MUMBAI: FOR THE LOVE OF STONES

In 1911, Jacques Cartier, grandson of the Maison’s founder, first traveled to India from the London branch to appreciate the pearl market and meet the suppliers. Another motivation for his travels was the opportunity to begin forging relationships with clients and Maharajas in the region. 

Once in India, Jacques found himself entranced by the traditional craft skills of local artisans. As he traveled the subcontinent, including his first official visit to Mumbai noted on February 24th, 1912, he kept a diary and took many photographs of this trip. Here, he remarked upon the impressive gem-setting techniques, and especially the art of stone carving. This fascination would go on to have a profound effect on the
Maison’s style.

In 1925, the first foliate-inspired bracelet, featuring carved precious stones on paved platinum branches, appeared at the Maison. The red and green color contrast of rubies and emeralds was traditional in India. Cartier took the daring decision to add blue and made this profusion of color a design signature, combining rubies, emeralds and sapphires, each one carved and shaped into a leaf, flower, bud or berry. 

These pieces grew in creativity and popularity throughout the 1920s, enriching the Art Deco period perhaps due to this unusual color palette amongst the world of Western jewelry. The creations embraced the strength of the original aesthetic codes, championed by the legendary Creative Director Jeanne Toussaint from the 1930s, where the use of vibrant colors became a defining factor in the “Toussaint taste.” 

In the 1970s, jewelry experts and journalists began to apply the label “Tutti Frutti” to this style, which has become inextricably linked with the Maison.

Beyond the carved precious stones, the motifs, and even flora and fauna of India, also left their traces on Cartier style. Throughout the archives, there are numerous examples. Mandala, lotus and paisley motifs speak instantly of Indian style and artistic flair. The appearance of local species of elephants, tigers and snakes marks a fascination with its wild and marvelous fauna; untamed, magnetic and seductive, their charms found a natural place in the Maison’s menagerie. Head ornaments, turban jewelry and aigrettes were popular among Indian clients and later reimagined in the Art Deco style for the high society ladies of Paris, London and New York.

Through book collections, sketchpads and the personal photographs of Jacques Cartier, these influences are well-documented. The creations themselves stand testament to just how significant they were, in particular for the High Jewelry collections, where their traces are seen up until the present day and where they continue to inspire new creations. For Jacqueline Karachi, the Maison’s Creative Director of High Jewelry, “India, a country of lights and contrasts, captures our imagination, awakens our senses and fascinates us with its refined exuberance. Sensuality and subtlety are in perfect harmony. India, with its rich stylistic vocabulary, stimulates our creativity by offering the wealth of its bright colors and the generosity of its motifs. India is also a country of exceptional craftsmanship in the area of stones and their cutting. It is a unique and ancestral savoir-faire, in perpetual evolution.”