CARTIER AND THE MAHARAJA

In a Bazaar exclusive, Francesca Cartier Brickell, the descendant of the iconic jewellery family, retraces Jacques Cartier’s tryst with India that led the brand to fame.

- RADHIKA BHALLA

It has often been love at first sight that’s led to the most beautiful relationships over the centuries. For Jacques Cartier, one of the two sons of the founder of the global jewellery maison, the fascination for India began from the moment he stepped foot in the Delhi Durbar in 1911. From the majesty of the Maharajas to the brilliance of uncut, exceptional-quality stones, this new land presented Jacques with opportunities and inspiration like no other and, in time, helped turn the house of Cartier into a global brand to reckon with. In a special conversation with Bazaar India, Jacques’s great-granddaughter, Francesca Cartier Brickell, recounts the stories and history of iconic pieces, which she gathered while researching for her recent book, The Cartiers.

The Cartiers... written by Francesca Cartier Brickell

Harper’s Bazaar: Tell us about Jacques Cartier’s relationship with India.

Francesca Cartier Brickell: “The first time my great grandfather, Jacques Cartier, visited India was for the Delhi Durbar in 1911. For him, the Durbar represented a unique opportunity to meet many important, potential clients in one place. In a way, he was like a traveling salesman, meeting Maharajas in their camps and showing them cases of jewels and watches from Paris in the hope that they might place an order. It was a successful strategy: after the Durbar, Jacques was invited to visit many palaces around the country. He kept extensive diaries of that trip and it’s clear how awed he was by India—everything, from the architecture to the fabrics and colours, had an enormous impact. That was the beginning of the love-affair, and the first of many trips to India.”