Jacques Cartier's travels to the Middle East in search of pearls

In this video, Francesca Cartier Brickell discusses her great-great-grandfather Jacques Cartier's travels to the Middle East in search of pearls. Beyond the commercial purpose of sourcing gems, Jacques was deeply engaged as an artist and observer, documenting his experiences through photographs and sketches of architectural details, motifs, and local life. These travels to regions like Bahrain and Mahaarak not only supplied pearls for the family business but also provided artistic inspiration that influenced the design of jewelry created for clients back home.

Cartier Brickell shares personal family anecdotes about Jacques's adventures, including stories passed down through generations about his pearl fishing expeditions and the challenges of traveling by donkey and boat. His detailed documentation—through both photographs and diary sketches—reveals a man fascinated by different shapes and artistic forms in the world around him. This dual purpose of his Middle Eastern journeys, combining commercial pearl buying with artistic research, demonstrates how travel and cultural exploration directly shaped the Cartier brand's distinctive aesthetic.