Cartier Pays Homage To The 50th Anniversary Of Singapore By Introducing The Etourdissant Cartier Exhibition

More than 600 pieces are being presented by Cartier at the Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris in a first-of-its-kind presentation of high jewellery, haute horlogerie and precious objets d’art in Asia. Cartier Singapore is celebrating the country’s Golden Jubilee with the Etourdissant Cartier Exhibition.

During an exclusive tour of the exhibition, Marketing and Communication Director of Cartier International Arnaud Carrez said, “We have never displayed so many pieces of high jewellery in a single location. At the exhibit, we are introducing the Etourdissant collection.” The name of the new collection, Etourdissant, aptly means “dazzling” or “astonishing.” Brilliant colours, extraordinary gemstones and a lot of remarkable forms are the true spirit of this collection.

“Chapter one took place in the South of France, and this is the second chapter of the amazing collection, where we are introducing more than 60 new pieces,” reveals Carrez.

Several spaces within the museum are transformed, with various collections grouped together to create a unique Cartier story for each sub-collection.

Carrez starts with the room right at the back, “In this room, we have the most exceptional stones.” Immediately, I find myself awe-struck by a most stunning geometric bracelet in front of my eyes. “This is the Romanov bracelet, which has an extraordinary 198-carat cushion-shaped blue sapphire. The gemstone has an amazing habit of disappearing and reappearing over the years. The first record we have of it was as a piece of décor on the dress of the elegant Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, wife of Alexander the third. We don’t know how exactly, but in 1928, the sapphire appeared in Cartier New York, probably through intermediaries, and it was re-sold a year later to a singer called Mrs. McCormick, who was married to a rich American industrialist. She wore it as a brooch and then as a necklace. In 1971, she sold it and it disappeared once again, only to pop-up in a Sotheby’s Auction in Geneva in 1982, where it disappeared yet again. Eventually, Cartier acquired it in 2014. So, you see that’s really an extraordinary story!”

Wow! To have a part of such history right here in Singapore is incredibly magical.

As we move on to the next window display, Carrez continues, “Here is another high jewellery piece, a necklace with a 45-carat cushion-shaped sapphire from Burma. The necklace is being presented in Singapore for the first time ever. The intensity and quality of the stone is seen in the simplicity of the design, as we wanted the sapphire to be the hero of the piece.”

More highlights include the eponymous Etourdissant necklace, which features a rare 34.96-carat colourless and internally flawless diamond. Another creation showcasing the savoir-faire of the French Maison is the Diamas bracelet, which revives the long-lost métier d’art of diamond threading.

There is also a room dedicated to Vintage Cartier pieces, all for sale.

For now, VIP Clients of Cartier are being presented the unique collection. But, for one day only, on 31 October 2015, the public can feast their eyes on the Etourdissant Cartier Exhibition, from 10 am to 6 pm.

Photo Credit: Cartier Singapore. For more information, please visit the official Cartier website. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.