Inspiration and the Cartiers: Never Copy, Only Create

Francesca Cartier Brickell explores the creative philosophy that guided her great-great-grandfather Louis Cartier and his brothers: never copy, only create. Rather than hiring traditional jewelry designers, Louis sought inventors and experts from diverse fields—lace makers, architects, furniture makers, and wrought iron specialists—to bring fresh perspectives to jewelry design. The brothers maintained an enormous library of illustrated books covering subjects from architecture to Chinese pottery, Indian textiles, and Ballet Russe costumes, which served as visual inspiration for their creations.

Through sketches made during their travels and pieces collected from around the world, the Cartiers transformed disparate sources into iconic designs. An 18th-century Indian temple might inspire the shape of a brooch, while fabric patterns could reveal secrets for enameling, and Chinese motifs could be transposed onto brooches and clocks. The firm's approach was always to create something entirely new rather than replicate existing jewelry, resulting in a distinctive Cartier style that remains instantly recognizable.