Story of ‘undreamed gorgeousness...’

Prakash Bhandari

A scion of the Cartier dynasty, Francesca Cartier Brickell (in pic) has penned the fascinating story of the jewellery empire that her great-grandfather, Jacques Cartier, founded in 1847. Her book, The Cartiers, takes us through Jacques’ Indian travels, starting with the Delhi Durbar in 1911, which he visited to find out new Indian customers, namely the maharajas and nawabs of India.

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The book gives a lot of space to the Cartiers’ Indian connections and singled out the Indian maharajas as big buyers.

My great-grandfather Jacques Cartier visited India many times in the early 20th century, buying gemstones and meeting many of the maharajas and discovering their interest in western fashions, such as the trend for resetting gems in platinum instead of gold. Over time, many of these maharajas would ask for their jewels to be remodelled in a more modern fashion. In fact, in the 1930s, it was these commissions that really helped Cartier stay afloat when the West was suffering the effects of the Great Depression. But it wasn’t all business. Over the years, Jacques also became friends with some of his Indian clients: the Maharaja of Nawanagar, Ranji, for example, would invite the Cartiers to holiday with him on his Irish estate. My grandfather remembered those holidays as very happy times with Ranji acting like an uncle-type figure to him and his siblings.

How did you study Jacques’ connections with the maharajas?

I travelled to India using his old diaries, retracing his steps and visiting places like Delhi, Baroda, Mumbai, Mussoorie and Kapurthala to meet the descendants of the clients and gem dealers who were known to my family. There, I came to know the real stories about the maharajas. I think there was a perception in the West that the Indian rulers lived a life of carefree opulence surrounded by jewels. However, the reality was much more nuanced: some of these rulers were progressive and even enlightened. For example, Maharaja Jagajit Singh of Kapurthala, who Jacques knew, may have made the headlines back in Europe for his 50th jubilee celebration (where he wore a Cartier emerald turban ornament!), but he was also a wise, fair and kind ruler who inspired loyalty by establishing schools (even with co-education) and building places of worship of multiple faiths. In Baroda, Gaekwad Sayajiaro III reformed his state, making primary education compulsory, banning child marriages, encouraging fine arts, establishing a railway and developing the textile industry.

Why did the Cartiers call their Indian-style jewels ‘Hindou Jewels’?

Jacques was blown away by the overwhelming explosion of colours he had seen in India; he described it as “undreamed gorgeousness and wealth”. This is what he wanted to convey to his Western clients through his ‘Hindou Jewels’. They took various forms but the ones that would later become known as ‘tutti-frutti’ were made from carved rubies, sapphires and emeralds. One of the best examples of this style was a large necklace called the ‘Collier Hindou’ made in the 1930s that was bought by the trendsetting heiress Daisy Fellowes. These tutti-frutti Cartier jewels now go for record prices at auctions.