Beyond Adornment

Cartier and The Hong Kong Palace Museum unveil the empowering journey of women's jewellery from status symbols to expressions of power

- Lynette Ow

Jewellery has always been inextricably linked to the lives, fates and fortunes of women. Over time, what it represents has transformed, from being mere markers of marital status or symbols of familial wealth to eventually expressions of feminine autonomy, freedom and influence. In this context, Cartier, one of the world's most prominent jewellers, in collaboration with The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), tells the narrative of how women on the cusps of societal movements and developments, exercised power through the pieces they've commissioned, created and collected.

The Cartier and Women exhibition is told through the lens of notable collectors from the 19th century onwards. Walking through the show is like walking through a mirror of societal changes and women’s desires, as seen through the lives of icons such as the Duchess of Windsor, the Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly and modern-day celebrities and collectors like Brigitte Lin and Carina Lau.