Cartier at the V&A: A century of jewels, stories and style

The V&A’s new Cartier exhibition brings together over 350 jewels, watches and objects, tracing the house’s journey from Parisian family business to global icon. Tickets are on sale now.

Walk into the Sainsbury Gallery at the V&A this spring and you step into a story shaped by ambition, skill and taste. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the museum dedicates a major exhibition to Cartier, the jeweller once known as “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers”.

The exhibition opens on 12 April 2025. It runs until November. Over 350 pieces fill the space. Each object marks a chapter in Cartier’s history. Each tells a story about people, places and the changing world.

Cartier began as a Parisian family business in 1847. By the early 20th century, the founder’s grandsons - Louis, Pierre and Jacques - set out to build something bigger. They opened branches in Paris, London and New York. They aimed high. Their clients included royalty, aristocrats and, later, film stars and musicians.

You see this ambition in the Manchester Tiara, made in 1903 for the Dowager Duchess of Manchester. The tiara sits at the exhibition’s entrance. Its story links France, America and England. It also signals Cartier’s early global reach.

Cartier’s style changed with the times. Early pieces drew on French decorative arts. The “Garland Style” brought lightness and romance. Later, bold Art Deco lines and global influences appeared. You spot these shifts in brooches, tiaras and necklaces on display.

Some pieces have famous owners. The Williamson Diamond brooch, commissioned for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, features a rare pink diamond. Princess Margaret’s rose clip brooch, Grace Kelly’s engagement ring, and María Félix’s snake necklace all appear. Each object links to a person and a moment.

What draws people to these jewels? Is it the materials, the design, or the stories behind them? You decide as you move from case to case.

Cartier’s workshops set high standards. Craftsmen worked with rare gems - rubies, sapphires, diamonds. The exhibition shows how the house combined technical skill with creative risk. The panther motif, first used in a 1914 wristwatch, became a symbol. You see it again in a 1978 bracelet set with onyx and diamonds.

Cartier watches changed the industry. The Santos, made in 1904, was the first modern wristwatch. Later, the Crash watch from 1967 captured the spirit of Swinging London. A new 2024 watch, inspired by a climber’s carabiner, shows Cartier’s ongoing drive to blend function and design.

Cartier built its name through more than objects. Early marketing, public exhibitions and magazine features made the brand widely known. In 1925, Cartier was the only jeweller at the Paris Exposition showing alongside leading couturiers.

As time went on, actors and musicians replaced royalty as style leaders. Grace Kelly’s diamond ring, worn in her last film before marrying Prince Rainier, is a highlight. The exhibition asks: how does a brand stay relevant as times change?

The final section gathers tiaras. These pieces signal status and skill. The Scroll Tiara, worn at Elizabeth II’s coronation and by Rihanna in 2016, sits beside the never-before-exhibited Opal Tiara and others. Today, few wear tiaras. Yet their appeal endures.

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