The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
Product ID: 333573586
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“A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash . . . [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark.”— The Economist The “astounding” (André Leon Talley) story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather’s humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon—as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives “Ms. Cartier Brickell has done her grandfather proud.”— The Wall Street Journal The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty—four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was “Never copy, only create” and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis, the visionary designer who created the first men’s wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre, the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques, the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world’s best rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry. Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way. Now she reveals never-before-told dramas, romances, intrigues, betrayals, and more. The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm’s most iconic jewelry—the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond, the Romanov emeralds, the classic panther pieces—and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion, film, and royalty who wore them, from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson, Coco Chanel, and Elizabeth Taylor. Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, this book is a magnificent, definitive, epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family.
| Dimensions | 6.1 x 1.34 x 9.17 inches |
| Edition | First Edition |
| Isbn 10 | 0525621636 |
| Isbn 13 | 978-0525621638 |
| Item Weight | 1.89 pounds |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 656 pages |
| Publication Date | June 8, 2021 |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
User
A book for everyone interested in history, business and beauty.
This book is really brilliant. It isn’t a picture book like a coffee-table book First of all, if you’re a reader, 600+ pages is not really a long book for what it covers; which is why it took 10 years to write. It’s filled with comprehensive, authenticated information from access that a writer/biographer wouldn’t normally have access It really is a story about the process to create a successful. Hard work and perseverance through bad times such as the first- and second-world war. Diplomatic relationships between owner and consumer. Creating a product that kept its relevancy over 150 years. I loved the inclusion of family thoughts as it gave the book personality. These relationships affect everything in any family business. I think the three brothers did an excellent job in identifying strengths (both staff and themselves), creating teams of experts. To see an earring design out of the curve of a vase or to see a color combination from a historic object without copying is astonishing. Buy this book not just for the allure of the beautiful objects, but because it covers a lot of business principles and clever deal-making which was the key behind their enduring legacy in history.
User
History of Cartier From A Family Member Well Worth Reading
Excellent chronicle of the unique house of Cartier. From late 1800's to 1970, Cartier was family owned. This family worked hard and their innovations in high end jewelry making are still in use. I have always loved the artistry of their creations and this book does justice to that element, but this book is so much more. The book is honest about the family members, good and bad. The book also gives a window of awareness to the massive wealth of those who did business with Cartier and was an education in itself. This book is sad in a way too because all things come to an end and the only constant is change.
User
Cartier: A Relentless Pursuit of Beauty, Timeliness, and High Craftmanship
Francesca Cartier Brickell gives the attentive, patient reader a thorough overview of the foundation, expansion, and loss of the family control of the Cartier empire from 1847 to the 1970s. The Cartier’s corporate tagline “never copy, only create” comes out clearly in the firm’s relentless drive for beauty, timeliness, and high craftmanship. The premium of the Cartier’s creations appeals to their buyer's psyche. The book under review contains a good selection of pictures of these glamorous offerings in color. Furthermore, Ms. Brickell offers useful insights into the motivations of the purchasers and sellers of Cartier’s product offerings over time. In summary, the author succeeds in bringing to life her illustrious ancestors, their achievements, and occasional misdeeds that make them human.
User
Fascinating book on a family owned company.
I really enjoyed reading this book about the Cartier business and family. So many beautiful pieces were made in their studios for clients all around the world. Many of those pieces can be seen online in great detail as you read if you so choose as I think back the family patriarch’s motto “always be kind” is one I hope to live for.
User
Fascinating world history through the lens of a family
I couldn’t put this one down. This was an amazing story of the wealthy and powerful through revolutions and wars as seen through a family having to adapt and change with the times. The combination of art, fashion, society, luxury and world history are told with personal letters and pictures of a family whose story is every bit as wondrous as the gorgeous treasures that were created under their name. I absolutely loved it!
User
an outstanding homage to luxury
Beautifully written this fast paced book is a detailed, chatty insight to the hard work and familial ties that created an enduring empire committed to excellence, beauty and luxury. It also pays homage to the many dedicated, loyal employees who worked alongside the family. Highly recommended
User
when precious jewels were in vogue
Detailed history of Cartier and the family that created it. Informative and interesting read. Well written, with good flow. Detailed
User
Highly recommend
Beautiful stories about business, family, craftsmanship, design, and world history in the 19th and 20th centuries.
User
Great read
Very interesting story behind the Cartier empire.
User
Wonderful biography!
I purchased this ebook and then forgot about it. I found it while sorting out my Kindle... and once I started reading it I could not put it down until the end.Written with love and awe by one person from the Cartier family that went through personal letters, archives, and interviews with descendants of people who worked at Cartier's, it's a family story, mostly of the three brothers, grandkids of the founder, and their lives and achievements during very significant times for the whole world.They surely were very creative and inspired and through this book it's even more understandable why Cartier means high jewelry.The photo insert with a selection of the more significant pieces adds an extra value!Highly recommendable!
User
Cartier for ever!
The history of the Cartier’s is filled with intrigue and tales of fabulous wealth, power and majesty, wrapped up in style and detailed craftsmanship. Combine all this with personal anecdotes and factual history and you get a well written story of great interest, a pleasure to read.
User
A PhD in Business, Creativity and Life. A textbook beyond compare.
The Cartiers - Book Review.I STUDIED this book vs reading it. Page by page, 600 pages. For me, it was a PhD in Business, Creativity & Philosophy.What I learned:- The AMAZING ability of the Cartier family to find inspiration from what they saw around them. Paris Balcony designs became Cartier's "Garland" style jewels. When Tanks rolled into Paris during WW1, that became the "Tank" watch. Visits to India were the inspiration for "tutti frutti" jewellery (Indian gems had lots of colour) & the lions & panthers gave way to the animal jewellery so famously Cartier.- The HARD HARD HARD work that went into building Cartier. From scratch to becoming a global brand, it took long sea voyages, visits to dangerous countries, appeasing temperamental clients & surviving 2 world wars to become an institution.- The amazing rule "Never Copy. Only Create".- The fact that Cartier brothers would GO to clients to do sales vs clients coming to them. This was a shocker to me but a humble reminder of how sales works!- The shock of the Cartier business being sold by its inheritors to different buyers- Lots of amazing quotes.
User
Great read
Fabulous historical read
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