When I asked my grandfather, Jean-Jacques Cartier, what piece he was most proud of creating, his answer caught me by surprise. This short film follows my quest to trace the extraordinary jewel he told me about.
In 1966, Princess Lilian de Rethy, my grandmother's sister, had approached Jean-Jacques with an extraordinary vision. Passionate about stags and their conservation, her dream was a full three-dimensional relief of a stag's head as a brooch, completely covered in gems.
This wasn't just any commission; it was so technically challenging that most workshops would have turned it away. It had to be realistic and light and wearable but also strong enough to hold all the precious gems securely without any metal being visible. For a piece this important – it was to be a 25th anniversary gift from her husband - and complicated, she knew only her perfectionist brother-in-law would do her vision justice.
Every part was hand made by multiple skilled craftsmen. The platinum mount was literally hammered into shape—nothing was cast. The setting was challenging because unlike most jewels, this was fully three-dimensional and required great skill to invisibly set in hard to reach places like inside the ears. When it came to the antlers, my grandfather found an actual deer antler and took it on the commuter train to London so the engraver could copy its rough texture exactly!
Years later, I met craftsmen who had worked for him at English Art Works, Cartier London's workshop. When I asked what they were most proud of creating, they gave the same answer: the stag brooch.
An idea came to me—what if I could reunite these craftsmen with their masterpiece? I reached out to my cousin Esmeralda, Princess Lilian's daughter, and she wonderfully agreed to make this reunion happen.
This film captures that emotional moment when artist meets artwork decades later—revealing the deep personal connection that transcends time. A story where family legacy meets extraordinary craftsmanship, and where the pursuit of perfection created something truly timeless.
#Craftsmanship #JewelryHistory #CartierLondon #Heritage #JeanJacquesCartier #FamilyLegacy #Cartier
