From left To right, brooch with moonstone, onyx and diamonds, art deco watch brooch with onyx, rubies, chrysopases, lacquer, pavé diamonds, emeralds, turquoises and spinels and watch brooch with brilliants, diamonds, emeralds and sapphires from the collection Polymorphe of Cartier.
If you look up ‘lead by example’ in the dictionary, you will get a photo of Jeanne Toussaint (1887-1976): before turning that animal into the unofficial mascot of the house -and of the Duchess of Windsorwho immediately became addicted to her jewelry in the shape of the feline—she herself used to walk around the Paris of the belle epoque Sheathed in a panther skin coat—those were different times.
In this way he drew the attention of Louis Cartierwho nicknamed her “my little panther” before signing her up in 1913 to conceive the leather goods of Cartier. What would Toussaint be like as a virtuoso—and a visionary—that 90 years after leading the Jewelry department—between 1933 and 1970—her pieces continue to inspire the creators of the house. A most eloquent example is the new chapter of the collection Free, Polymorph. Jewelry and watches that pay tribute to Toussaint’s taste for transformable pieces, with generous proportions and unusual precious stones. Naturally, the panther is present, and quite explicitly, on a brooch that reproduces its claw. An audacity for which, at the very least, I would purr with pleasure.
