Cartier’s latest Grain de Café collection, fronted by the ambassador of the brand—young actress Elle Fanning—was inspired by the humble coffee bean. Fanning is not only the face of the collection this year; she also wore signature pieces to the 2023 Met Gala in May.
A solar collection studded with jewels on yellow gold, the radiance of vintage glamour from the French Riviera in the 1950s and Grace Kelly images are clearly on the mood board, bouncing off inspired motifs and motivation.
According to the brand, inspiration was also “drawn from the heart of the maison’s stylistic vocabulary, based on two cherished elements at Cartier: flora crafted in yellow gold and the ordinary made precious,” hence the rings, pendants, earrings, and brooches, arranged like clusters of coffee beans perforated with the most exquisite gemstones, be it rubellite beads poking through like berries among golden beans.
The latest offerings have been unearthed from Cartier’s very own archives by reissuing a necklace dating back to 1955 and the world of Jeanne Toussaint. Toussaint, the famed Belgian-born French jeweller and designer, was the director of fine jewellery in 1933, appointed by Louis Cartier himself.
\When the original collection was launched in the 1950s, the most celebrated fashion icons in the world and Hollywood royalty wore them. Fashion icon Audrey Hepburn wore a pair of earrings from the collection on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar (October 1956) while Grace Kelly has been photographed with her favourite pair on several occasions.
Jeanne Toussaint drew inspiration from the quotidian, and what the OG designer saw in nature, animals, flora, birds of paradise, lions, and, of course, the iconic tiger. The creations in the Grain de Café collection take a “luscious interpretation” from nature as seen in the half-flower, half-fruit scattering of berries in precious metal and stones.
Upon first sight, you might find the collection reflective of vintage collections from the world over; some might even see semblances to Thai, Indian, or Egyptian jewellery to the gods and royalty.
Like all art—especially fine art—even this versatile collection from the famed “jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers” (King Edward VII referred to Cartier as such) is open to interpretation. Either way, the exquisite new and timeless line is available now at Cartier and all good stockists.
All images courtesy of Cartier.
