Château de Versailles comes alive at exclusive unveiling of Cartier’s High-jewelry Royal collection in Dubai!

Legendary luxury brand Cartier recently showcased its High Jewellery Royal collection at Dubai’s Four Seasons Hotel from 8 – 12 March 2015. The elegant spirit of the collection was perfectly complemented by ‘An Evening of Royal Splendour’ - an exclusive private ladies-only gala dinner held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on 8 March. As one of the select invitees, Aviamost’s Editor-in-Chief, Rita Boustany, brings a firsthand report of the magical evening and the jewels unveiled at the event

Hailed as the ‘King of Jewellers and the Jeweller to Kings’ Parisian brand Cartier continues to enrich the realm of jewellery with its enthralling creations. Its new High Jewellery Royal collection celebrates the magnificent beauty of exceptional gemstones and is matched by its renowned craftsmanship and eye for detail. Over 300 creations from this inexhaustible treasure trove were recently showcased in one of Dubai’s most regal haute joaillerie affairs.      

The Cartier Royal collection witnessed an extraordinary launch event in only four select cities across the world: Paris, New York, Dubai and Hong Kong, where the famous brand’s valuable connoisseurs were treated to an experience of a lifetime.    

In true Cartier-style, Dubai’s Four Seasons was transformed to resemble France’s famous Chateau de Versailles, to welcome the esteemed guests who were offered the privilege of being the first to discover the magnificent pieces from the Cartier Royal High Jewellery exhibition. The setting, décor and ambiance complemented by the lighting wonderfully captured the spirit of the collection.

The guests were further treated to an outstanding show featuring dancers and musicians flown specifically for the event from Paris, and they also viewed a special jewellery presentation showcasing the outstanding pieces on international models, dressed in Victorian-inspired attire.

The revelry however did not stop there but carried over to the next day, 9 March when the renowned brand hosted a grand cocktail reception for select guests who had the unique opportunity to discover Cartier’s Royal collection creations in a Parisian setting, leaving them with beautiful memories of a Royal night in Versailles.           

Château de Versailles

An intrinsic part of France’s history, the Palace of Versailles is known as the Château de Versailles in French and is a royal château located in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. Though Versailles was a country village when it was built, today, it is a wealthy suburb, some 20 kilometres southwest of Paris.

The court of Versailles was the center of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. So it is famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.

Stunning Haute Joaillerie creations

Cartier’s Royal collection showcases remarkable creations, illustrating the legendary brand’s expertise and its exceptional “eye”. Highly eclectic, it sparkles with unique pieces that represent rigour, curiosity and passion. The rare, highly sought-after precious and fine stones featured in them have been chosen for their obvious beauty or their unusual personality. And in Cartier’s ‘hands’ they gain a compelling identity that radiates from the splendour of these creations – in tune with today and as treasures for all time.

Some of the most show-stopping jewels showcased included Cartier’s Royal collection Absolute Pure Diamond necklace which represents the brand’s quest for the ultimate perfection in precious stones. It features an awesome A D IF (Internally Flawless) 30.21 carats diamond, remarkable not only for its weight but its unsurpassed purity too. As a transformable piece, the diamond can be detached and worn as the centrepiece of a dazzling necklace or play chief protagonist on a chiselled ring. This piece has given Cartier a platform to use its unique craftsmanship to make the platinum setting invisible. A timeless piece of such perfection, it gives little or no hint of the incredible craftsmanship involved.

The splendid Cartier Royal High Jewelry Reine Makéda necklace fashioned in platinum features one intense red 15.29-carat oval-shaped ruby from Mozambique which forms the ‘beating’ heart of a ‘draperie’ necklace designed with a fluidity that can make it intimate or formal. It is also set with one 3.51-carat D IF round-shaped rose-cut diamond, one 5.10-carat E VS2 pear-shaped rose-cut diamond, cabochon-cut and faceted ruby beads, pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds, calibrated diamonds, and brilliant-cut diamonds. As yet another transformable piece in Cartier’s Royal collection, the ruby chocker and the diamond necklace can be worn separately. This creation is a celebration of craftsmanship that matches the idea.

Cartier's stunning Royal Collection Viracocha necklace showcases a cushion-shaped 26.60 carat emerald remarkable for its quality and its noble provenance. An ancient, old mine stone with a deep fresh colour it hides the thousand secrets of its history. The Maison honours its origins and celebrates its beauty by featuring it as the focal point of a necklace with clean lines with a surround of calibrated triangular diamonds. Above it is a kite-shaped diamond which endows the emerald as the magisterial pendant on a double line of diamonds interspersed with emerald spheres.

Yet another astonishing jewel is Cartier’s Royal Tiara crafted in platinum and set with one 166.18-grain natural pearl, one 5.01-carat cushion-shaped diamond, natural pearls, cushion-shaped diamonds and brilliant-cut diamonds. The tiara can be worn as a necklace too and the natural pearl is removable and can be worn on a pendant. The strikingly attractive High Jewelry Cartier Royal platinum ring flaunts a magnificent 29.06 carat, cushion-cut, cornflower blue sapphire from Kashmir, flanked by triangular-shaped diamonds (2.43 carats and 2.17 carats), calibrated diamonds and brilliant-cut diamonds.