Cartier Unleashes Its Imagination—Again
Last December a Cartier Art Deco brooch estimated to sell for $100,000 to $150,000 went for almost $1.4 million at Christie’s New York. The piece—of natural pearl, tourmaline, ruby, onyx, and diamonds—was part of the collection of tastemaker Mica Ertegun, which is a partial explanation. But for jewelry experts the key to the high bid is this phrase in the catalog: “Cartier, Art Deco.”
That period of design, between the wars, was marked by geometric lines and the influence of booming industry—and by a visible break with the past. The era’s jewelry reflects a freedom from the romance (and diamond garlands) of the Belle Epoque. It was a liberation that has proved highly desirable; signed Art Deco pieces remain some of the most coveted.
A similar independence of spirit marks Cartier Libre, a kind of laboratory of high jewelry design that produces a collection of limited edition pieces each year. The mission of Cartier Libre is to unleash imagination without boundaries or expectations—just pure creativity. This year that autonomy yielded this watch of emeralds, amethysts, obsidian, coral, chrysoprase, and chalcedony. Its design recalls Cartier’s famed Chimera bangles, and its name, TuttiTutti, references Cartier Tutti Frutti, an emblem of the house for more than a century.
Above: Cartier Libre TuttiTutti Watch, Cartier.com
This story appears in the February 2025 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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