Designing the REVOLUTIONARY TO THE ICONS

Crafted from seminal moments in the world's history, Cartier's most recognised styles are here to stay.

- SARAH FISHER

In the formative years of the 20th century, there was a climactic shift in creative expression all across Europe, with Paris very much at the heart of it all. Louis Cartier, the grandson of master jeweller and company founder, Louis-François Cartier, found himself helming the great house of Cartier on the city's Rue de la Paix in 1899. The art scene at the time was pulsing to the rhythms of Japanese prints, Islamic culture, and Iberian figures-and these had influence over the pieces crafted on Rue de la Paix.

Today, the French luxury brand is synonymous with great jewellery and stunning timepieces. With much-loved lines such as Clash de Cartier and the much-anticipated resurgence of the Pebble watch, the jeweller is not short of crowd favourites and among those, a select few have reached stellar icon status.

Beginning with its jewellery heritage, the first icon is the Trinity ring. Created in 1924 by Louis Cartier himself, the ring is emblematic of Cartier's design philosophy. From its inception, the Trinity ring was meant to create layers. Featuring clean lines and perfect proportions, the intertwined bands arrive in an eye-catching trio of gold: rose gold, yellow gold, and white gold. Thanks to this tritone, the diamonds on the paved versions are able to give off nuanced reflections with every flick of the wrist.