Cartier: Jewelers Extraordinary

Hans Nadelhoffer ran the jewellery department at Christie's Geneva from 1969 — the year the saleroom opened — through the period when Geneva became the leading venue for important jewellery at auction. He left Christie's in 1980 to spend four years researching what would become the first comprehensive scholarly history of the house.

For the project he was given access to historical records across all three branches: design drawings, client commission books, correspondence, and photographs from the nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth. The result was the standard reference work on Cartier and has remained so. Auction catalogues for significant Cartier pieces routinely cite it. The revised 2007 edition was redesigned throughout in full colour with additional illustrations and new material.

Nadelhoffer also co-authored Reflections of Elegance: Cartier Jewels from the Lindemann Collection (New Orleans Museum of Art, 1989) with Eric Nussbaum and Harry Fane.

What It Covers

The 1984 edition covers the full history of the house from Louis-François Cartier's founding to the mid-twentieth century, with dedicated sections on jewellery, watches, and objects. It treats the three brothers — Louis, Pierre, and Jacques — individually and documents key client relationships and commissions. Substantial treatment of the Indian maharaja orders, the Garland Style, the Art Deco period, and the Mystery Clock programme.

Cited In

Referenced across the Cartier glossary, including entries on Hans Nadelhoffer, Mystery Clocks, Tutti Frutti, Cartier Jewellery, Cartier Watches, and the individual watch form entries. The Sotheby's sale catalogue for the Nancy Leeds Diamond Bandeau (New York, December 2007) and the Bonhams catalogue for the Nancy Astor Tiara (London, June 2025) both cite the work.