HIDDEN GEMS

WITH ERICA SHARPE

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RECENTLY, I’ve been travelling a fair amount and have seen some fascinating things. These experiences feed directly into my lifelong interests, and they've energised both my creativity and my practical, artistic work.

A few weeks ago, I managed to get tickets to the Cartier exhibition at London’s V&A Museum. What a show! Hundreds of Cartier's finest jewellery pieces were on display. Many iconic items were alongside the sketches and notes of their original inspiration, their development designs, stories of their creation and meanings and ultimately how they were worn by famous figures in legendary settings. The Duchess of Windsor's collection, for example, included the bejewelled flamingo brooch and the amethyst and turquoise collar - breathtaking pieces in both history and craftsmanship.

One room particularly stood out. Visitors are faced with a pristine white landscape - a stylized evocation of mountain and forest, rendered only in shadow and light. Against this stark, pale backdrop, a timeline of Cartier’s famous panther jewels popped forward. These exquisite three-dimensional sculptures in gold and platinum, studded with precious gems, aren't just wearable objects - they are commanding works of art. The panthers, so iconic to Cartier’s visual identity, seemed almost alive: powerful, poised, and impossibly elegant.