Antique and vintage jewellery has always held a certain appeal to me. My passion for all things antique was in fact fuelled by a childhood surrounded by antiquities collected by my grandmother, mother and aunts. Summer trips to Europe were filled with visits to antique fairs, dealers shops, museums and auctions. Surrounded by such beauty, it was not difficult to be fascinated by history and that which belonged in the past.

Looking back to 100 years ago, it is hard to imagine life at the turn of the 20th century. The era was named “Belle Époque” (1870-1914) as it epitomised a period of western history in which there was regional peace, economic prosperity, technological innovations and optimism. From the new century, new styles of jewellery emerged but, rather than a clean break from tradition, some were elaborations of age-old themes. Garlands, laurel wreaths, bow knots, tassels and lace motifs became the leitmotifs of the period.

As the master of this new style, aptly named ‘garland style,’ Louis Cartier encouraged his jewellery designers to consult original eighteenth century pattern books and to wander through the streets of Paris and take sketches of eighteenth century architectural details. To realise these delicate and intricate designs would not have been possible without the pioneering skills of platinum work in jewellery.  Platinum, with its strength and rigidity, allowed the jeweller to reduce the use of metal needed in a mount to enable the gemstones to sparkle more brightly.  This ensured that Cartier’s creations were sought after by royal, aristocratic and, above all, wealthy clientele on both sides of the Atlantic.