Cartier's En Équilibre high jewellery collection in Stockholm: Alexander Skarsgård, Zoe Saldaña and Deepika Pakudone converge on Artipelag as the maison unveils restrained, elegant pieces

South China Morning Post

28-05-2025

Cartier is no stranger to European capitals such as Madrid and
Vienna , and this time the Parisian jeweller chose Stockholm for the unveiling of its latest high jewellery collection.
Named En Équilibre ('In Balance'), the range is a celebration of the elements that define Cartier's essence – streamlined design, incredibly rare stones, and boundless creativity that never overshadows the raw materials.
Rien de trop – or 'not too much of anything' – is the guiding principle of a collection emphasising timeless design and highlighting the natural beauty of stones.
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The Panthère Orbitale necklace from Cartier's En Équilibre high jewellery collection, in platinum, coral, amethyst, emeralds, onyx and diamonds. Photo: Handout
Even bold pieces depicting some of Cartier's signature motifs – such the iconic panther and multi-hued tutti-frutti – are a master study in restraint.
'En Équilibre is less a theme or an inspiration than an approach, a different angle. It's linked to something that is our general way of looking at jewellery,' said Pierre Rainero, Cartier's image, style and heritage director, in an interview on the day of the launch in Stockholm.
'Every time we choose a theme, the theme should give a new dimension to what the
Cartier style is. At Cartier there's a notion of balance, and balance is subjective and that subjectivity defines our style. There's not one absolute idea of balance.'
Rainero adds that while balance and restraint are key elements of Cartier's DNA, that doesn't necessarily mean that the maison can't be bold. 'Rien de trop is my vision of the Cartier style, but we're not enemies of decoration,' he explains. 'Throughout the centuries there have been many arguments about minimalism versus decoration, and function versus form. At Cartier there's no debate because decoration has a role to play if it makes sense – but not for the sake of it. It can be there, but not too much of it.'
Cartier's Tsagaan necklace depicts a snow leopard. Photo: Handout
The Tsagaan necklace, for instance, is a perfect exemplar of Cartier's ability to evoke the essence of a creature while staying true to the purity of design Rainero describes. Made of white gold, white diamonds and onyx, the stunning piece represents an elusive snow leopard as it hides in the snow. You have to look closely to see the feline's features, which are abstract yet figurative. It's testament to the skills of Cartier's high jewellery design studio – helmed by creative director of high jewellery
Jacqueline Karachi – and of the maison's workshops.