“A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash . . . [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark.”—The EconomistThe captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather’s humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon—as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost … exclusive access to long-lost family archives
“Ms. Cartier Brickell has done her grandfather proud.”—The Wall Street Journal
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty—four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was “Never copy, only create” and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis, the visionary designer who created the first men’s wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre, the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques, the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world’s best rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry.
Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way. Now she reveals never-before-told dramas, romances, intrigues, betrayals, and more.
The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm’s most iconic jewelry—the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond, the Romanov emeralds, the classic panther pieces—and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion, film, and royalty who wore them, from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson, Coco Chanel, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, this book is a magnificent, definitive, epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family.
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Using the resources of first account interviews with family members as well as a trunk full of correspondence, author Francesca Cartier Brickell tells her family’s fascinating history.
Through multiple revolutions, world wars and economic downturns, the Cartier family business persevered. I found their resourcefulness completely fascinating. For example, during the Gilded Age, the family expanded their business to America to take advantage of the extravagances of the nouveau riche. During the Great Depression, they turned eastward as neither Russia nor India was affected by that economic downturn.
While the title implies new information, there are many sources of the history of the Cartier family business. These easily found sources are much shorter, but they don’t provide the depth of information about the family. Ms. Brickell’s account of her family history is well written, unbiased, and informative. This book is sure to appeal to jewelry lovers and history buffs alike.
As a jewelry editor and writer it told me stories of the Cartier family I’d never known – a must read for fellow jewelry enthusiasts.
Four generations of genius, glamour, and ambition are laid bare in Francesca Cartier Brickell’s behind-the-scenes account of the Cartier family. Part social history, part affectionate memoir, The Cartiers is a pleasurable stroll through the glittering byways of a more elegant age.
Francesca Cartier Brickell’s deeply researched and highly energetic book brings to life a family of creativity and whimsy, their dazzling list of wealthy clients of nobility and celebrity, and an all-star team of designers and craftsmen. The Cartiers shows how the family firm not only created a time and place in history, but how they also helped shape the modern world of luxury.
A telling social history of the first half of the 20th century in Paris, London, and New York, all through the lens of luxury and all that it entails… While the diamonds, emeralds and sapphires are indeed stunning, it is the Cartier family characters who steal the show in this gem of a book.
The Cartiers is the sparkling saga of one of the globe’s most iconic jewelry dynasties, beautifully recounted by a direct descendant of the company’s founders. With her insider’s understanding of the family business, a historian’s precision, and a novelist’s keen eye for personal detail, Francesca Cartier Brickell has created a seeming contradiction: an epic yet personal chronicle.
Francesca Cartier Brickell skillfully traces her family’s astounding history through the contents of a weathered suitcase found in her grandfather’s cellar. The result is a fascinating account of the Cartier brothers and the creation of this iconic and enduring luxury brand.
An enchanting jewel of a book.
This was a marvelous history of the rise of luxury consumer goods and of commercial jewelry sales in France, England, and America. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Brickell blended the history of the business with the socio-political environment and history of the Cartier family themselves. The writing is engaging and entertaining as well as informative. For a long and detailed historical portrait, it read in a surprisingly easy fashion, offering up excellent snapshots of time and place the painted vivid pictures that leapt off the page. I found myself turning to Google for additional information on a lot of the people and jewels described, as my Kindle only offered black and white photos that were not very large. This was a great find and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.