Cartier’s love affair with nature is evident in its new high jewellery collection

Cartier has long celebrated the untamed beauty of the natural world. Its latest 87-piece collection—Nature Sauvage High Jewelry—is a result of thousands of hours of work with the world’s most precious stones. Through this collection, wild animals like panther, zebra, flamingo, and serpent come out as bold and more beautiful than ever. 

One may wonder that Cartier’s love for the wild has always been evident, so what’s different this time? The Nature Sauvage collection takes the theme to a whole new level. This high jewellery collection reveals a new perspective of the Cartier fauna, through new and unexpected encounters. There is a strong visual impact along with Cartier’s unparalleled craftsmanship. The attention to detail transforms a raw gemstone into pieces like the life-like eye of a panther. The collection is a fusion of high-quality material, masterful artistry, and boundless creativity—high jewellery at its finest. Each piece is a collector’s dream, a chance to be a part of Cartier’s rich legacy.

Cartier has had a connection with the panther since 1913 when painter George Barbier came up with Dame à la Panthère—an image of an elegant model, adorned with sautoir necklaces and pearls with a sleek black cat at her feet—on an invitation card for a Cartier jewellery event. Over the years, Cartier’s history has become spotted with references to the majestic feline. But this year, the emblematic panther comes in a new avatar under Cartier’s High Jewelry Creative Director Jacqueline Karachi. Enter Panthère Jaillissante. With this ring-bracelet, the panther has been tamed and made docile enough to be handled and played with. 

The feline boasts of slender limbs, a diamond coat flecked with sapphires, and emerald eyes. It positions itself in such a manner as if it is a fierce guardian of the 8.63-carat Zambian emerald and is ready to pounce at any moment. But panther is not the only untamed animal central to the collection. Take the Amphista necklace, where two reptiles snake around the neck in manner as if they are protecting the nine octagonal emeralds from Colombia situated between them. With their diamond scales set with emeralds, and heads crowned with kite-shaped diamonds, the chromatic intensity of the stones resonates in total harmony.

Cartier first showcased the collection at Kursalon Hübner, a majestic Renaissance palace in Vienna, on May 28, 2024. But Vienna wasn’t just a venue, it became a collaborator. The city’s rich history and culture resonated with Cartier’s own heritage. The curated exhibition was an exquisite spectacle. Visualise this: A flamingo with its plumage recreated with a cascade of diamonds, or a zebra holding an emerald-cut diamond, and a 6.25-carat pear-shaped rubellite in its mouth. The exhibits opened a dialogue between art, culture, and the untamed creatures adorning the jewels. 

The collection is fronted by actor Deepika Padukone, who is also the global ambassador for the French house. With every collection, including this one, it is evident that Karachi and her team are continuously innovating and evolving, pushing the boundaries of the design world. 

This piece originally appeared in the October-November print issue of Harper's Bazaar India

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