The jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers

Aquamarine Tiara, Cartier London, c1937

We went along to the V&A yesterday, to see the much-anticipated Cartier exhibition. A sumptuous feast for the senses - this was definitively the biggest collection we have ever seen of some of the world's most valuable and sought-after jewellery, and we were in awe.

Just a few of the priceless pieces we saw:

Above, left to right: the Patiala Necklace, featuring the 234.65 carat yellow DeBeers diamond, commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1925 - the largest ever single order Cartier has received to date (about £2 billion/$2.5 billion in today's money); diamond and 143.13 carat emerald necklace, made in 1932 and formerly owned by Beatrice, Countess of Granard; Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson's famous flamingo brooch - apparently she had several of her own pieces unmounted so that the stones could be re-used in this clip; the 57.31 carat "Star of the Golconda” necklace, commissioned by the Maharajah of Nawanagar.

[left to right, above]: The Manchester Tiara, 1903, commissioned by Consuelo, Dowager Duchess of Manchester - she supplied over a thousand brilliant-cut diamonds and more than 400 rose-cut diamonds for its construction; Dame Elizabeth Taylor's ruby and diamond "Red Fire" necklace, a gift from husband Mike Todd; the 61.50 carat "Eye of the Tiger" diamond turban aigrette, commissioned by the Maharajah of Nawanagar; the platinum and diamond Oriental Tiara, 1911, worn by Queen Elizabeth II.

One of the most breath-taking items (among miles and miles of breathtaking moments! was this - a snake necklace, ordered by the extravagant Mexican actress María Félix n 1968. From the Cartier Collection catalogue:

"The ingenuity of the design makes it a unique piece in the history of jewellery. Thousands of hours of work and great expertise were put into making this 57-centimetre long reptile, with an entirely articulated structure paved with 2,473 diamonds. A jewellery piece that has since become emblematic."

It certainly was that...

HM The Queen Elizabeth’s 23.6 carat Williamson pink diamond brooch. Princess Anne's Pineflower tiara. Grace Kelly's diamond engagement ring from Prince Rainier of Monaco. Gloria Swanson's Art Deco bangles, as worn in Sunset Boulevard. Egyptian sarcophagus vanity cases. The Countess of Essex's 1902 tiara and choker worn by Rihanna for her 2016 W magazine photo-shoot. Items owned and worn by Elton John and Freddie Mercury. A whole gallery of Cartier's iconic watches. Another of their famous "mystery clocks". A whole room of just tiaras. Case upon case of sparkles of every hue...

...the sheer number of exhibits on offer meant that we spent several very rewarding hours studying it all - and I'd gladly go again tomorrow!

Cartier at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is on until 16 November 2025.