Cartier’s historic tiaras and jewels take centre stage at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria

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The Cartier exhibition brings together nearly 400 jewels, timepieces and archival materials, including 24 historic tiaras in its final gallery.

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19 Jun 2026 02:27PM

Twenty-four historic tiaras fill the final gallery of the latest blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). For many visitors, it may be the first – and perhaps only – time they see so many of these jewels gathered in one place.

Opened on Jun 12, 2026, as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, the exhibition ‘Cartier’ brings together nearly 400 jewels, timepieces, jewellery objects and archival materials, making it the largest exhibition dedicated to the French luxury house ever staged in Australia. Created by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London, in partnership with NGV and in collaboration with Cartier, the Melbourne presentation features almost 300 works never before seen in Australia.

Drawing on the Cartier Collection, Cartier’s archives and loans from museums and private collections around the world, the exhibition traces more than a century of the maison’s evolution – from its origins as a Parisian family business founded in 1847 to its rise as one of the world’s most recognisable jewellery houses.

Among them is the Scroll tiara from 1902, crafted in Cartier’s signature Garland Style and worn by Lady Clementine Churchill at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. More recently, it appeared on Rihanna on the cover of W magazine in 2016. Other standouts include the Manchester tiara, commissioned in 1903 by Consuelo Montagu, Dowager Duchess of Manchester, as well as two turquoise and diamond tiaras worn by sisters Lady Nancy Astor and Lady Phyllis Brand, reunited for the first time in decades.

Elsewhere, visitors will encounter some of Cartier’s most celebrated commissions. A ruby and diamond necklace once owned by Elizabeth Taylor is shown alongside jewels associated with Grace Kelly, Princess Margaret and Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. Among Simpson’s pieces are the celebrated Flamingo brooch and the panther clip brooch centred on a 152.35-carat cabochon sapphire.

Australian audiences may be particularly drawn to a section dedicated to Dame Nellie Melba. The internationally acclaimed soprano was an important Cartier client in the early 20th century, when the house was becoming known for its Garland Style jewels. On display are pieces she wore on and off stage, as well as archival material connected to her relationship with the jeweller.

The exhibition traces Cartier’s transformation under Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, grandsons of founder Louis-Francois Cartier. By establishing branches in Paris, London and New York, the brothers helped turn the family business into one of the first internationally recognised jewellery maisons and developed a design language that remains influential today.

One figure receives particular attention: Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s creative director from 1933 to 1970. Closely associated with the panther motif, one of the house’s enduring signatures, Toussaint helped shape Cartier’s modern identity through bold designs that challenged many of the jewellery conventions of the time.

Visitors can also trace the origins of Cartier’s fascination with colour and gemstones. Jacques Cartier’s travels to India, Sri Lanka and the Middle East in the early 20th century helped establish relationships with gem dealers and collectors, introducing influences that later appeared in creations such as the house’s celebrated Tutti Frutti jewels. Among the exhibition’s standout examples is Daisy Fellowes’ spectacular Tutti Frutti necklace from 1936.

Jewellery is only part of the story. A section devoted to Cartier’s timepieces explores the house’s innovations in watchmaking and clockmaking, featuring iconic wristwatches such as the Santos, Tank and Crash, as well as the celebrated Mystery clocks, whose hands appear to float in mid-air.

The exhibition design adds another dimension to the experience. Conceived with NGV by Studio Sabine Marcelis and Cloud, two multidisciplinary design practices based in Rotterdam, it uses light, colour and materiality to echo the qualities of gemstones. Each room is designed to feel like a distinct spatial volume, with shifting colours and atmospheres that respond to the jewels on display.

Many of the objects on display come from the Cartier Collection, which was formally established in 1983 after Cartier began reacquiring significant historic pieces in the 1970s. Today, the collection comprises more than 3,000 historical pieces and continues to grow.

According to Pascale Lepeu, director of the Cartier Collection, the aim has never been to acquire every important Cartier creation. Instead, the collection seeks to represent the breadth of the house’s history, filling gaps as significant examples become available. Some acquisitions emerge unexpectedly when families approach Cartier about historic pieces that remain in private ownership.

While the exhibition originated with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Melbourne presentation has been expanded and adapted for Australian audiences by NGV curators Dr Miranda Wallace and Amanda Dunsmore, working in partnership with Cartier and the museum’s archives and collection.

Whether drawn by royal tiaras, Hollywood glamour, Art Deco design or exceptional craftsmanship, visitors will find plenty to linger over. More than a showcase of jewels, this showcase offers a rare opportunity to explore how one jewellery house helped shape changing tastes, styles and ideas of luxury for more than a century.

CNA Luxury travelled to Melbourne for the exhibition at Cartier’s invitation.

Source: CNA/bt