1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,360 Welcome to the GiltTrips podcast. I'm your host, Kendra Lockhart. As a goldsmith and 2 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:17,560 gemologist, I'll be speaking 24 karat on all things jewelry, metals, and gems. Join 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:24,080 me plus a few friends to demystify both materials and designs as your private jeweler. Let's 4 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:36,160 tune in on these topics and get golden. Never imitate, always innovate. Cartier, the second 5 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:41,840 iconic jewelry call out in the 1953 song and dance number, Diamonds Are A Girl's Best 6 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:48,760 Friend, famously referred as Jeweler to the Kings, King of Jewelers. Today the brand is 7 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:56,480 in over 125 countries, has three temples, yes, that is the word they use, gotta love 8 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:02,880 the French and their passion. And now is owned by the mega conglomerate Richemont, a luxury 9 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:09,240 goods holding company, mainly for fashion, watches, and jewelry. Let's cover the origin 10 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:17,200 of the brand, the generational accelerations, historical complications, successes and scandals, 11 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:24,680 and impact on the industry. Time stamps of chapters will be in the show notes. 12 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:37,400 Who was Cartier? Ten years after the founding of Tiffany and Company in America, Louis François 13 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:45,040 Cartier took over his employees' atelier in Paris in 1847. Patriarch Cartier was the 14 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:52,040 son from Modest Money, who desperately wanted formal education. His father was able to place 15 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:57,720 him in an apprenticeship for watchmaking with Adolf Picard. While the experience of doing 16 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:03,200 journeyman work was usually demoralizing or psychologically difficult, Cartier's was 17 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:10,400 positive and he brought new ambition to the shop when he purchased it with family money. 18 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:17,520 Was it smooth sailing? Absolutely not. Problem one is he didn't have elite clientele. So 19 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:22,480 despite the idea of broadening the portfolio of products, he often ended up wholesaling 20 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:28,760 it to other shops who had higher circles of patrons, missing out on the extra profit as 21 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:36,000 well as the ideal people. However, Cartier was a Scorpio and he made some stealth decisions 22 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:42,520 that would come to fruition as his long game. First, he registered his makers mark with 23 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:49,480 the government at the time of acquisition. Secondly, he publicized himself as successor 24 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:56,280 to master Picard. He watched his country get ravaged by war. Less than 60 years after the 25 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:04,760 French Revolution, the 1848 rebellion swept through Paris. France had overthrown monarchy, 26 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:11,840 founded its first republic, deposed a child king, restored the royal family, had a third 27 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:20,160 ruling family member with the same name, Napoleon III, or Nappo III for ease, who had held presidency 28 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:26,080 in the second republic attempt and now is becoming emperor after this current rebellion, 29 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:32,600 who promised and executed the rebuild of Paris as well as restructuring the middle class 30 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:38,360 so that they wouldn't have a repeat of Marie Antoinette, Lin Miserable, and the never ending 31 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:46,040 Game of Thrones. So, they finally have a power shift from the aristocracy that was fleeing 32 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:51,080 or liquidating. Remember last episode when Tiffany scooped up some European assets in 33 00:03:51,080 --> 00:04:00,120 1848? That was when Cartier was busy closing his shop. But now it's 1853 and time to reopen 34 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:06,760 in the eve of the industrial age. Wisely, he moves to a bougie address. Determined to 35 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:13,000 gain the attention of his needed following, he had some savvy strategies. First, gold 36 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:19,800 plating was working its way into the mainstream, just in time for the rise of salary for craftsmen 37 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:26,920 as well as the spending ability of the middle class. Second, expand into home goods of new 38 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:35,800 aristocracy and not just jewelry. So, he featured silver tea sets and ivory or bronze art objects 39 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:42,840 of the same quality that he stood for. Last, he went counterculture on customer service. 40 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:50,680 Cartier and his son Alfred would not treat any patron differently. Blending all the classes 41 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:55,720 and pulling a real anti-snob move at just the right time for the nouveau riche, who now 42 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:02,520 have the cash but have yet to learn the etiquette. This worked for two years straight and he would 43 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:08,440 finally get a break with a very important client. A countess would come to the shop and purchase 44 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:14,840 a fair amount of cameos at her visit. For the next three years, she became a regular and not 45 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:20,440 only would she acquire 50 pieces in that time frame, but she would wear them to esteemed events. 46 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:27,400 And whose eye does she catch? Princess Matilda, niece of the original Napoleon, 47 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:34,040 not to be confused with Nappo III, whose wife, Empress Eugenie, was a catalyst for Tiffany's. 48 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:41,240 Matilda had great taste and style and she would go on to own over 200 pieces from Cartier. Her 49 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:47,400 happiness in jewelry and hosting salons in her home to the elite was her counterbalance to a 50 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:54,760 less than enjoyable marriage to a Russian nobleman who would not honor her title nor ditch his mistress. 51 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:02,120 Eventually, she would issue a brevet, which is a real warrant, which is bragging rights that you 52 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:18,680 serve regal clients. In 1874, Cartier's son Alfred took over the company. Now it would be Alfred's 53 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:25,960 sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, who established the brand name worldwide. But let's give Alfred 54 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:32,840 his dues and his points. First, platinum was now showing up in the jewelry world. It was found to be 55 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:40,040 durable and flexible and lighter pieces could be made, so larger jewelry would be more comfortable. 56 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:47,400 By 1890, the company Cartier would introduce all platinum garland style necklaces, 57 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:53,400 combining new material, fresh technology, and current design into its offerings. 58 00:06:53,400 --> 00:07:00,200 This also established the brand as innovating because they were embracing neoclassical and later 59 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:06,760 art deco movements into their product line. While it was Alfred's dream to go international with 60 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:13,960 a family company, the grandsons of the founder had the drive like their patriarch. So his next 61 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:21,720 generation, Louis the oldest, stays in Paris and is the creative inventor brother. His legacies 62 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:30,040 would be the Trinity ring, Panther motif, and the first ever wristwatch. Here goes to New York and 63 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:36,840 opens a branch at a time when no competition was thinking of global expansion. This brother was 64 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:42,840 the networker and the deal maker. He would secure a large order ahead of the London store 65 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:49,640 to popularize the demand before the arrival. Jacques, the baby brother, would be at the 66 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:57,320 helm of the London location. He was the traveler and was deep into inspiration from India and its 67 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:05,720 colors and its gems. It was Jacques who would blend Eastern jewels and tones into Western 68 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:21,640 art deco pieces and his Tutti Frutti collection still commands top dollar at auction houses today. 69 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:28,440 Let's discuss famous patrons. At the turn of the century, Edward VII, whose mother did not allow 70 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:33,160 her son to rule in her lifetime, yet he would ascend the throne at the time of her death, 71 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:40,600 happened to be a very stylish guy who liked public appearances and inclusion. His coronation at 72 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:48,280 Westminster Abbey in 1902 featured 27 commissioned tiaras from Cartier, a brand that had brilliantly 73 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:56,920 established ties because Alfred, self-exiled to London from 1871 to 73 during the Franco-Prussian 74 00:08:56,920 --> 00:09:03,320 War, made high-level contacts and connections before he would return and take over from his father. 75 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:10,520 The desire for the house's jewels made its way up English society and onto the prince's radar. 76 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:16,920 Now he would travel to Paris and when it came time to take the throne, his advisors said no 77 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:24,440 more running off to France and Cartier synchronistically opens in London, gets the big fat tiara project 78 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:30,520 and in two years wins the royal warrant to become jeweler to the kings, the king of jewelers. 79 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:39,560 Now this is a triple win where the royalty to have Cartier in London for Cartier to expand 80 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:43,480 internationally and for Cartier to hire local talent and craftsmen. 81 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,080 Before we go across the pond and discuss the American presence for this company, 82 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:55,640 let's walk through the rest of the British crown. Edward VII dies nine years into ruling and his 83 00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:03,080 second son George V is now going to be king because his first son died. The 1900s were a mix of old 84 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:08,440 world diseases and new medical advances so surviving was not a high percent yet. 85 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:14,280 Pneumonia, influenza, and typhoid could still take out the population of Europe. 86 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:21,560 George V has to rule through World War I and dies prior to World War II. 87 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:27,320 Cartier secured a second coronation in mere decades and was heading into its third. 88 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:34,440 The deceased king's eldest, Edward, is to take the throne but he's not big into the protocol. 89 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:41,880 That will sound like someone else in the future. The conflict he had of being in love with a 90 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:48,600 previously divorced American, mashed with how she could be received as queen consort, stopped being 91 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:54,840 an issue when Edward proposed with a Cartier-Amerald engagement ring and then left the crown two 92 00:10:54,840 --> 00:11:01,640 months later. Was Cartier making a statement? Was it simply servicing an agreement to be 93 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:10,440 jeweler to kings? It was the latter. So Edward steps down. His brother George ascends with 94 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:15,640 his wife Elizabeth the Queen Mother. They are parents to the future Queen Elizabeth, 95 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:24,200 mother of Prince Charles. Yet another coronation and another tiara from future George VI who had 96 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:31,320 this made for his brother's coronation but his brother stepped down. It would be his turn at the 97 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,000 crown. And this time Cartier makes something that is multi-generational, the halo tiara. 98 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:46,760 Alas, another king does not master longevity and by 1952 a 25 year old first born daughter would 99 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:52,920 become Queen Elizabeth II now that the Queen Mother is widowed. And in case you're counting, 100 00:11:52,920 --> 00:12:00,440 this is coronation number four in 50 years. But Elizabeth wears the same tiara from Cartier 101 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:07,240 that her mother wore at her father's coronation that she received for her 18th birthday and now 102 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:13,960 it's two generations. And most of us know that Queen Elizabeth II lives a very long time past the 103 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:19,560 acquisition of Cartier and her son Prince Charles uses a very different jeweler for Diana's ring 104 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:26,600 and Diana wore her own family tiara despite being the commoner marrying into royalty. So now 105 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:33,000 we have a king who left for a divorcee, a prince and princess divorcing before taking the crown, 106 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:39,880 Diana's death and their kids are now adults. Diana's first son William proposes with his 107 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:47,560 mother's ring and the queen-loaned Catherine, Princess Kate, the Cartier halo tiara for her 108 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:55,960 wedding in 2011. Now it's three generations and as for William's brother Harry, wedding gifts of 109 00:12:55,960 --> 00:13:01,640 earrings and a bracelet from Cartier were worn by Meghan Markle completing the appreciation 110 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:08,440 of the royal lineage of jeweler's 100 year relationship with the monarchy of Europe. 111 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:15,320 Now while we can't claim the crown in America, our own cultural styles of Jackie Onassis' 112 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:22,520 Andy Warhol and Michelle Obama being long and loyal patrons in the same half century as Queen 113 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:30,600 Elizabeth II creates that global influence that the son of Patriarch Cartier had had and now 114 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,120 the third generation of his own line had executed. 115 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:48,920 This brings us to important commissions. In 1925, you may or may not know your history, 116 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:57,080 but India was British-owned for the first half of the 20th century. The Maharaja, meaning great ruler 117 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:04,360 of Patalia or Patalia region, commissions Cartier of London to lump all of his father's jewelry 118 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:13,240 into one mega piece. The necklace had five chains, all platinum had almost 3,000 gems, featured the 119 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:22,440 yellow De Beers 234-carat diamond and white diamonds ranging from 18 to 73 carats and many 120 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:29,320 Burmese rubies. It took three full years to make and it would go missing a year after Gandhi and 121 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:36,040 a nonviolent revolution restores India's independence. The De Beers stone would be found in an auction 122 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:42,280 in the 1980s and then a section of the necklace, stripped of its stones, would be recognized by 123 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:49,800 none other than a Cartier employee in 1998 at a London secondhand shop. The theory being it was 124 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:57,480 deconstructed to finance the break from European wealth and salvage India's financial estate. 125 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:04,360 The Greville chandelier earrings, which were elongated platinum drops with modern cuts like 126 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:11,800 half moons, were gifted to the Queen Mother and from her to her daughter Queen Elizabeth as a 127 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:18,520 wedding gift. They are the epitome of the 1920s aesthetic and the techniques which are still 128 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:24,920 being timeless and tasteful in today's designs. Next we have the Williamson brooch, a Canadian 129 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:32,520 geologist named Williamson who also was a mine owner gifts Queen Elizabeth II a large pink raw 130 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:39,880 diamond and she is advised to have it cut. When that's completed Cartier sets it into a Jean-Claude 131 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:48,520 brooch. Camilla, Prince Charles's mistress, then wife, then Queen consort would wear it after Queen 132 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:55,080 Elizabeth II's death. It would also be replicated in the costuming in the Crown miniseries. 133 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,520 Lastly Pierre, the brother who ran the New York office, 134 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:06,520 sells the Hope Diamond to Harry Winston, America's king of diamonds and that will get covered in 135 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:13,720 next week's episode. On to the scandals. Now remember the king who left the throne to be with 136 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:20,920 the American divorcee? It's now after World War II in 1946 and she has a visit to England 137 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:27,640 during which her Cartier travel pieces go missing. Was this a royal inside job? Was it family 138 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:34,840 retaliation? A possible insurance fraud? Cartier did get a large deposit of loose stones from Edward 139 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:42,840 and Wallace the following year. Now in 1960 a professional thief confessed. In 2024 the Cartier 140 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:49,480 website erroneously listed its rose gold and diamond hoop earrings for about $14 instead of $14,000. 141 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:56,760 A man in Mexico purchases two pairs, one for himself and one for his mother. Now in America 142 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:03,240 we have legal precedents for e-commerce and truth in advertising but remember this is a Swiss-owned 143 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:09,560 company that was formerly French doing business in Central America. He won his case by the way. 144 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:17,800 Lastly in its breaking news this month of May in 2024 a Cartier relative is indicted on crypto 145 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:24,040 laundering with Colombia through the United States. I invite you to google that for more 146 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:37,000 information since it's not necessarily jewelry related. Before I discuss the contemporary jewelry 147 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:42,520 collection I have to briefly mention that Jean Toussaint after World War I began working in the 148 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:48,680 sterling department and would ascend to creative director 1933 was a bit overboard about Panthers. 149 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:55,640 Cartier would earn a mascot of sorts since her house was decorated in Panther skins and she even wore 150 00:17:55,640 --> 00:18:00,680 a panther pelt coat. This would spawn a jewelry collection and watch style for the Cartier company 151 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,560 in addition to her jewel encrusted animal commissions that would become a movement after 152 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:11,080 World War II. Today Cartier's collections that also perform very well in secondary markets 153 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:18,120 or pre-owned sales and auction houses are Love. Originally a two-part locking bracelet with 154 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:23,880 screwdriver allegedly fashioned after medieval chastity belts but made to represent love bonds. 155 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:29,560 The designer Aldo submitted to Tiffany's which passed on the prototype before Cartier would launch 156 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:36,760 it and it now expresses as rings bracelets necklaces and earrings. Just to include the same 157 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:43,000 clue the same designer Aldo comes up with a singular motif he finds aesthetic and creates 158 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:50,440 with the form of a nail symbolizing sacrifice as a type of love. It too would iterate into rings 159 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:56,200 bracelets necklace and earring items. The Clash de Cartier released a year before the pandemic 160 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:03,960 lockdown it captured opposites with attitude in all four categories of jewelry and then Trinity 161 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:11,320 originally a rolling combination of three circles this stock item from 1924 would become a timeless 162 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:18,840 staple in different colors of golds and come to mean love friendship and fidelity. It turns 100 163 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:27,160 years old in 2024 and as for current watches let's remember Cartier was originally a timepiece master 164 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:33,160 the Santos was Lewis's response to the Brazilian aviators request for a hands-free pocket watch 165 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:41,560 named for Alberto Santos Dumont in 1904 it went public in 1911 and led to a female version with 166 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:49,320 diamonds which would birth the style known as jewelry watch. The Tank Watch in 1917 also by 167 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:54,760 Lewis, re-envisioning a battle machine while breaking from the standard circular dial 168 00:19:54,760 --> 00:20:02,760 would become a favorite for over a century. The Balan bleu which would look like an elegant balloon 169 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:10,120 with a sapphire crown embellishment and rapidly became a classic after its debut in 2007 in both 170 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:18,360 women's and men's styles. The Benoit then oval timepiece which translates to bathtub has held 171 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:25,640 strong appeal since the turn of the century. Finally the Pasha rumor has it that a ruler 172 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:32,680 requested a more water-resistant timepiece. There's no perfect storyline on this but the 173 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:38,360 screw-down crown and the grid projecting the crystal would align with the idea of form following 174 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:52,360 function in this matter. In 1964 the great grandchildren and offspring of the three brothers 175 00:20:53,000 --> 00:21:00,120 sold the company and it was no longer a family asset. Fast forward to the 1980s and each branch 176 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:06,920 would be reunified and finally acquired by the luxury goods company in switzerland as a Richemont 177 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:15,320 holding. Today the legacy is that it was a founding member in the responsible jewelry council which 178 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:21,080 is standardizing ethical sourcing and global compliance in the industry of jewelry and in 179 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:29,880 2022 the brand explosion creating an 88 rise in value was due to remodeling the shops during 180 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:37,080 lockdown while getting with the times online and in e-commerce during covid. According to the brand's 181 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:44,600 vision quote, Cartier's creations symbolize the fusion of exceptional savoir-faire and timelessness. 182 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:54,440 Thank you for listening and learning with me. I would love you to share this project with 183 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:59,720 people finding rare beauty in today's world and throughout our times. Until the next episode, 184 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:25,000 keep your own story sparkling.