Article #48629

Fresh from a sell-out showing at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Cartier is coming to the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne as part of the gallery’s Winter Masterpieces series. The exhibition features more than 350 jewels, including gemstones the size of golf balls, and tells the story of how three brothers – Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier – took their grandfather’s small Parisian business and transformed it into a global sensation.

Throughout the tumultuous 20th century, Cartier was the jeweller of choice for the 0.1% – adorning aristocrats, industrialists and actors. Many of the maison’s most opulent and exquisitely crafted jewels drew inspiration from the natural world. Here, NGV senior curators Dr Miranda Wallace and Amanda Dunsmore explore Cartier’s ongoing fascination with animals

• Great dynasties of the world: The Cartiers