They say that three is the magic number, and this is perhaps why, over three dates and three different continents, the Étourdissant collection of Cartier jewellery is being bewitchingly teased out.
The first rush of designs from the high jewellery collection, the title of which translates from French into stunning or dazzling, was unveiled in the South of France in July, with the second tranche of Étourdissant unveiled in Singapore on 31 October. Cartier chose Singapore as the location to unveil the jewels in celebration of the country’s 50th anniversary that took place this year. At the Pinacothèque de Paris museum within Fort Canning Park in downtown Singapore, a special one-day exhibition of Cartier jewellery was open to all - a first for the Maison.
View Cartier's Étourdissant high jewellery designs launched earlier this year
The exhibition, titled, simply, Étourdissant Cartier, was a presentation of more than 600 pieces of haute joaillerie, haute horlogerie and precious objet d’art. Within the collection, which was a mix of new and vintage designs, there were 60 jewels that had never before been seen; launching important new pieces in Singapore was another first for Cartier. And as was true of Paris before it, the new jewels to join the Étourdissant collection in Singapore were truly worthy of the name.
One of the most dazzling pieces was the Étourdissant platinum and diamond necklace starring a central 34.96ct D-colour cushion-shaped diamond pendant. The necklace can be built up to adjust your sparkle levels, with two detachable rows of glittering troïda-cut and brilliant round diamonds. If that doesn’t satisfy your lust for diamond jewellery, you could always add on the Diamas bracelet, which weaves briolette, emerald, calibre and brilliant cuts of diamonds into a flexible belt formation, complete with buckle.
Or try the Clarté bracelet, also unveiled in Singapore, which breaks up rows of tiny brilliant round diamonds with blocks of faceted rock crystal. At the centre of this substantial white gold Cartier cuff is a 66.09ct cushion-shaped Colombian emerald, while the edges of the cuff have been marked with slim cuts of onyx.
Find out why Colombian emeralds are so covetable
While the Parisian collection was truly a rainbow of gems, the Singapore launch also included some brightly hued pieces, such as the Corralin collier. In this design, coral beads are strung next to diamond-set platinum links, leading down to a tassel of natural pearls, onyx beads, diamonds, and more coral and turquoise cabochon tips.
There is still one Étourdissant launch yet to take place, and for this we will find ourselves in the vibrant city of Miami, where we expect the Stateside selection of one-of-a-kind Cartier jewellery to be just as captivating as its Asian and European predecessors.
View the L'Odyssée de Cartier high jewellery collection
