Fabulous Fauna: The Cartier Nature Sauvage High Jewellery Collection Chapter III

Cartier is no stranger to the allure of animalistic forms in high jewellery. Its iconic and everlasting emblem, the ready-to-strike Panthère, is the perfect example of how a well-chosen member of the animal kingdom can become synonymous with brand identity. This January, the Maison expanded its sophisticated Nature Sauvage High Jewellery collection with a curated selection of pieces that blend naturalism with abstraction. Chapter III is full of the classic codes of the House, including ‘Tutti Frutti’ combinations of carved emeralds, sapphires, and red coral, and big cats in various stages of hunting and resting. Let’s take a closer look at these interesting new additions to what is already an impressive Cartier high jewellery story. 

This isn’t the first time we have encountered the Cartier Nature Sauvage High Jewellery collection. At the Met Gala in May 2024, actress Demi Moore wowed in the Chloris necklace, with 7.87 carats of emeralds and a flurry of white diamonds inspired by dandelion seeds floating on a phantom breeze. Later, at the Venice Film Festival, Monica Bellucci stunned in the butterfly-inspired Chryseis necklace – one of the collection’s stand-out creations – with chalcedony beads and a 63.76-carat rubellite pendant. 

Now, though, we are returning to the Nature Sauvage world for a third chapter. The mission is the same: to showcase Cartier’s chosen fauna in new, unexpected and suitably fabulous ways. Many of the pieces in this chapter are ‘life-like’ in that they feature realistic and instantly recognisable animal forms. When a more abstract approach is taken, such as in the Echina necklace, the purpose is clearly to celebrate a stylistic moment in the Maison’s history, like the explosive creativity of the 1920s. Cartier also hopes to tap into the “powerful spirit” of its chosen animals to “radiate a feeling of life”. Personally, I think this confidence is palpable throughout Chapter III, especially considering the size, scale, and intensity of the jewels on offer. If nature is delicate and whimsical, Cartier certainly didn’t get the message this season! 

The brand’s Director of High Jewellery Creation, Jacqueline Karachi, says the goal of the chapter is to “surprise, amaze and bring modernity by way of unexpected encounters”. She continues: “[The collection contains] expressive jewellery which showcases the attitudes and personality of an animal, its vitality. Like an actor, it plays with graphics, with volume and optical illusions, blending into an imaginary landscape. This is the spirit of Nature Sauvage.”

A highlight is the Panthères Versatiles necklace, crafted in white gold with a 10.10-carat Zambian cabochon emerald, onyx and diamonds. Here, the big cat is given metamorphic powers in a transformative design that can be worn as a bracelet, a choker or as an unusual shoulder jewel with a long-line adornment for the back (whereby the sugarloaf-style emerald choker sits towards the base of the spine). Cartier describes the panther as a personal guardian, wrapping around the neck, hugging the shoulders, or adorning the wrist to bestow feminine energy. It will be interesting to see if this shoulder jewel is paired with a backless dress at an upcoming award ceremony or red carpet event. 

Sticking with the theme of panthers, let’s turn our attention to the Panthère Canopée and its sleeping feline atop diamond-set draped palm leaves. Despite the jungle inspirations, Cartier has moved away from the more obvious choice of emeralds in favour of an impressive 26.53-carat Ceylon sapphire, surrounded by trilliant-cut sapphires, round brilliant and baguette-cut diamonds. “The composition of the design contributes to the power of the piece,” Cartier explains. “The naturalism of the foliage is complemented by a sculptural, almost architectural dimension with geometric accents.” What’s also special about this piece is its movability. Each element of the necklace is slightly mobile, which allows it to sit more comfortably about the neck and over the shape of the collar bones. 

The Ispida ring is another new creation, this time capturing the shape of a kingfisher hovering around a ‘pool’ of greenish-blue tourmaline. The latter has a generous weight of 15.21 carats, cushion-cut for softness, surrounded by plumage in shades of blue sapphire and white diamond. The piece is completed with a yellow gold beak, a gem-set eye, and a perfect asymmetric sweep that will no doubt look sensational on the finger. Just as an additional nugget of information, the chromatic combination of colours used here is described by Cartier as ‘Peacock Décor’ and is acknowledged as one of the Maison’s signatures.

Likening the shape of carved emeralds to sea urchin shells was the inspiration behind the abstract Echina necklace, which blends pops of green with red coral, pierced sapphire beads, and diamonds in a geometric lacework of white gold. This type of ribbed gemstone bead was first introduced into the Maison’s lexicon in the 1920s, so there’s a definite nod to the brand’s archives here. In person, the piece reflects light beautifully, with different cuts, shapes and surfaces radiating and diffracting in varied ways. The emeralds, especially, are like luminous bulbs with their own power source! 

Finally, Cartier has added another necklace to Nature Sauvage Chapter III, describing it as the Tiger Fine Jewellery necklace. Perhaps this means it does not perceive this piece to be in the same category of high jewellery? Regardless, it is a striking collar crafted with yellow, orange, brown and white diamonds, onyx inlay and emeralds to bring a prowling tiger to life. Its front paw, which sits just below the tiger’s face, is articulated for an added touch of realism. 

Nature is the ultimate source of inspiration for high jewellery, which makes creating something new and interesting a challenging task. Although these pieces are comfortably within Cartier's repertoire, it’s hard to imagine another Maison doing the ‘big cat’ motif with the same level of power and poise. It’s safe to say that Cartier isn’t just a master jeweller; it’s a master of confidence.