When Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant got engaged on January 19, all eyes were on the couple and their lavish attire. While the bride-to-be looked ravishing in the gold silk tissue ghagra and a matching blouse and dupatta, the groom-to-be opted for a deep blue kurta. Yet what caught a lot of people’s attention was not the clothes but the brooch Anant donned. In the shape of a panther, it looked like a regal piece of jewel and it is. The Cartier Panther Brooch is not just any other piece of jewellery out there. It has a rich history behind its creation, one that is also shared by the British Royal Family, most specifically the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson. Here’s all you need to know about this extravagant brooch:
Origins
The roots of Cartier Panthère are in Paris, beginning with a woman named Jeanne Toussaint. The Parisian style icon joined the luxury brand Cartier around 1913. Since being acquainted with the French jeweller Louis Cartier, she earned the nickname of “La Panthere” from him. The iconic jewellery motif was born after Toussaint spotted a panther in the wild on a safari with Louis Cartier.
In 1914, the famous motif first appeared on a Cartier wristwatch. As expected, the jewellery with its signature pattern in diamond and ebony screamed extravagance. This inspired Cartier to incorporate the panther motif into his jewellery pieces. That is how he was lauded in nobility circles. Not only was Louis Cartier the first jeweller to incorporate the panther motif as a trademark, but he was also one of the first jewelers to use platinum in his creations.
The Duchess Of Windsor
In 1948, the Duke of Windsor, Edward VIII commissioned the first three-dimensional Cartier Panthère for his wife, the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson. The iconic piece was created using a 116.74-carat emerald from the Duke’s collection. This was no ordinary piece. The motif was in gold and onyx and was perched right above the enormous stone. Needless to say, the Duchess of Windsor loved the iconic motif. A year later the couple commissioned another Cartier brooch. In fact, they had purchased more than six additional panther designs in total. The most famous is the panther brooch of pavé diamonds and sapphires, perched atop a 152.35-carat sapphire cabochon, and an onyx and diamond panther bracelet.
Today’s Panther Brooch
The official website of Cartier has the iconic Panthère de Cartier brooch made out of 18K white gold. It is set with 2 emeralds, onyx, and 159 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 1.04 carats. The 9.65 millimetres in width and 65 millimetres in length motif costs about Rs 19 lakh.
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