The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire

Cartier is a candid story of a jewelry dynasty spanning four generations, from the French Revolution to the 1970s. At its center are the three Cartier brothers, whose motto was “Never copy, only create.” They made their family firm world-famous in the early twentieth century thanks to their unique, complementary talents: Louis, a visionary designer who created the first men’s wristwatch to help his aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of an airplane. Pierre, a master of the deal who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double necklace of natural pearls. Jacques, a gemstone expert and traveler whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world’s finest rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, inspiring the creation of the famous Tutti Frutti collection.