Cartier Brand Profile
Cartier is known throughout the modern world, and is held in extremely high regard among the jewelry and fashion industries. The jewelry design house was founded amidst the French Revolution in 1847 in Paris, France by Louis-Francois Cartier. This was, obviously, a very turbulent time in France, but despite widespread economic hardship, the Cartier brand was thriving. So much so that their first boutique opened in Paris in 1859.
Louis-Francois was responsible for the brand taking its first steps, but it wasn’t until his son Alfred took over the helm, that Cartier grew to mainstream popularity in France. And even after that, Alfred’s sons Louis, Jacques, and Pierre were responsible for the brand reaching worldwide levels of notoriety. Through these three men’s networking skills, the brand opened doors in London and New York City. Even though the Cartier brand was becoming a household name among societal elites, the company was still trying to find ways to break into these foreign markets, any way they could. The Cartier Townhouse on Fifth Ave in New York City transferred ownership to the Cartier family in exchange for a million-dollar pearl necklace.
The Cartier boys traveled the world collecting inspiration for collections that would later be released under the design house’s name. This is why there is an obvious eastern influence in a lot of their signature collections and designs. Trips to India and Asia provided the inspiration for countless Cartier masterpieces.
The brand remained under family control until 1964, when a subsidiary of a Swiss Luxury Brand Management conglomerate purchased Cartier. They are still headquartered in Paris, and the signature Cartier style that had garnered them such popularity and success is still ingrained in the brand, and that will likely never change.
As if building a worldwide brand and design house wasn’t impressive enough, the Cartier boys were responsible for some major innovations in the jewelry industry. They were among the first designers to include platinum in their jewelry (instead of gold), and this prompted King Edward VII to give them the nickname: Jewellers of Kings, Kings of Jewellers. The innovation doesn’t stop there. Since a majority of the brand’s origins are rooted in watchmaking, it only makes sense that they played a role in the popularization of the modern-day wristwatch. The first one being a commissioned piece for a friend of the family, and renowned pilot who needed a watch light enough and easily accessible while he was flying. Without this connection, the modern wristwatch might pale in popularity in comparison to the norm we know today.
CLT Jewels is proud to offer a limited selection of vintage Cartier jewelry*. Not every jewelry store is so lucky, but listed on our website are vintage watches, estate necklaces and more. Not to mention the rest of our vintage designer jewelry collection. Shop today online, or in-store at Malak Jewelers in Charlotte, NC.
*Neither CLT Jewels or Malak Jewelers are affiliated with Cartier. We simply offer a selection of vintage or antique estate jewelry sold to Malak Jewelers or purchased at auctions over the years.