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“If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance.”
– Orville Wright
As we make our way through the air, it’s not a leap to wonder about the ones who first took to the skies. It was Orville and Wilbur Wright, who took flight with their Kitty Hawk Flyer in 1903 – the first motorised aircraft of its kind. In a trip that lasted just twelve seconds, they changed the course of history. Bracing themselves as they caught shaky wind and risking everything to propel mankind to impossible realms. And while these seconds are a drop in the bucket of the lengths we travel now, this impulse to push the limits of what we know and leap into the unknown is an appetite that continues to guide innovation.
With more than a century and a half of storied collections, Cartier is renowned for its historic ingenuity. But as we’ve come to know, the legendary creations and pioneering quality have not been born of a desire to operate within the status quo. Since its inception, Cartier has focused on advancement and perfection, crafting icons that, up until their advent, were not thought plausible. And still today, after decades of infinite inspiration, the house continues to utilise this ambition, paying respects to its history of visionary craftsmanship and discovering new ways to evoke awe.
Take its Voltea necklace, a force that uses the Maison’s classic red to punctuate and set a swift rhythm that moves the eye’s direction with a series of half-moons of diamond pavé. Along its path, lapidaries have cut each interspersed ball individually, inserting them with unfathomable precision into this rose gold structure and spacing them out to stand on their own. Like three cardinal points, coral beads are encircled by an open onyx frame and studded with a diamond that structures the entire piece. The kinetic energy flows across from one to the next in regular waves, building a fluid momentum of hypnotic elegance.
Drawing on the seductive allure of the panther, with its predacious agility and majestic strength, it’s no wonder the house’s core emblem is one of the fastest animals in the world. Lying along a glistening sea of sapphire draped around the neck, the regal symbol sits quietly on the Panthère de Cartier Necklace. But with inconceivable detail, the mercurial presence of the animal in its natural habitat is realised in precious metals and stones, imparting viewers with a sense of risk, as if it could leap at a moment’s notice. For Cartier, imitation of spirit is not a goal, but rather, with endless honing of craft, the very essence of nature is able to be harnessed by hand.
In the Unda necklace, we witness another feat of human origination. Sixty-seven emerald cabochons of varying sizes ripple through a multitude of diamond-paved rays, bearing a perception of motion without beginning or end. The graphic structure of the piece contrasts with the brilliance and roundness of the gemstones: two opposing forces that, when in contact with one another, create a synergy that radiates throughout the necklace. Within this marvel, gemstone experts have individually selected stones to coordinate colour and size. By combining the links one by one, the jewellers were able to transcribe the motif’s waves and create an imperceptible set on the skin that flows like a nimble current.
As modelled on competitive motorcycle racer Jordan Rand, who represents the innate human passion for going further, Cartier’s high jewellery reflects the spirit that thrusts us forward. With each new collection, expert knowledge and technique are pushed further, forged by a deep curiosity for what lies beyond the ceiling of the known. This is the heart of Cartier. To journey further and higher, expanding the possibilities of margins to explore with freedom. Yes, there is always risk in taking flight, but there is so much more in never taking leaps. And with this spirit, we can become limitless.
DISCOVER THE CARTIER HIGH JEWELLERY COLLECTION.
CREATIVE DIRECTION: MARNE SCHWARTZ & DANÉ STOJANOVIC
PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTIA GUOLO
FASHION DIRECTION: ANNA CASTAN
HAIR: JEAN-LUC AMARIN
MAKEUP: ALISONN FETOUAKI
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: JEAN-MARC MONDELET
LIGHTING ASSISTANT: ALESSIO SPANU
FASHION ASSISTANT: CHRISTIAN MARCHESICH
MODEL: JORDAN RAND / WOMEN MANAGEMENT
THIS FEATURE IS PUBLISHED IN THE 15TH EDITION OF GRAZIA INTERNATIONAL. ORDER YOUR COPY HERE.
TOP BANNER IMAGE: PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER NECKLACE, CARTIER HIGH JEWELLERY, DISCOVER THE COLLECTION
