Perfect Balance

Innovation and craftsmanship set the stage for astounding gems in the second chapter of Cartier's En Équilibre collection. ALEXA ABITBOL, who leads its team of high jewellery artisans, speaks to CHARMAINE HO about the perfectly poised creations.

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We are in the century-old imperial gardens of the Aman Summer Palace resort in Beijing, which has been transformed into a modernist jewellery box of sorts. A see-through marquee has been set up to let in natural light while keeping out the cold, as trees frame the venue with their lush greenery. We are here for the unveiling of the second chapter of Cartier's En Équilibre high jewellery collection. The venue, with its marriage of the man-made and the natural, provides the perfect setting for a collection that is an exercise in equilibrium: Lightness and volume, opulence and restraint, precision and poetry have all been calibrated with Cartier's exacting sense of proportion.

Comprising over 480 creations spanning high jewellery, fine watchmaking, and high jewellery watches, the exhibition is assembled around three themes: Colours, Rhythm and Volume. Each presents balance as a tension between opposing forces—a notion that is more easily written about than it is to create.