16 December 2021

Upcycling in the exhibition "Cartier and the Arts of Islam

Cartier was not merely inspired by motifs from distant cultures: the jeweler’s new creations have also often incorporated elements from old jewelry or precious objects. So-called “apprêts” such as clasps, enamel plates, etc. Two pieces of jewelry not to be missed in the exhibition illustrate this approach perfectly. Firstly, this magnificent bracelet created around 1925, which was originally a shoulder ornament: it is composed of five Iranian chalcedony seals/amulets, engraved with a Koranic script dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Almost a century later, in 2017, this bracelet also features a a beautiful 18th-19th century Iranian nephrite jade amulet engraved with a surah from the Koran. Thanks to the designers and craftsmen, these Islamic elements have had several lives.

 

  • Cartier - Bracelet composed of five Iranian chalcedony seals/amulets, engraved with a Koranic script dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century - Ca. 1925

  • Cartier - Bracelet featuring a beautiful 18th-19th century Iranian nephrite jade amulet engraved with a surah from the Koran - 2017

Most popular articles

Clothes and precious stones by Christopher Esber

Beyond aesthetics, Christopher Esber believes in the positive virtues that certain crystals worn directly on the skin possess.

Botter's small car jewelry

Botter, the Dutch creative duo made up of Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter have turned colorful little cars into jewelry.

Responsible, recycled or mined gold, who’s using what?

In this issue we offer a non-exhaustive overview of pieces heralding these new jewelry values.

"Fly me to the moon" – Noor Fares' Wing Shop

On “Wing Shop” the new e-shop of Noor Fares, you can entirely customize the “Fly Me to the Moon” earrings.

Rouvenat returns!

The positive values initiated by Léon Rouvenat, almost two centuries on, are modernized.

205,000

During the conference organized by the jeweler L’Or du Monde (pioneers in the use of recycled gold), the Systext association painted an apocalyptic picture...