If you haven’t seen the stunning blockbuster exhibition, Cartier, at the National Gallery of Victoria, don’t wait a moment longer.
The exhibition will close on October 4 and has dazzled more than 200,000 visitors since it opened in Melbourne.
My jewellery aficionado friend Tina, who loves all things bright and beautiful, and I were highly impressed by the magnificent display when we visited the NGV recently.
Created by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in partnership with the NGV, and in collaboration with Maison Cartier, the exhibition features nearly 400 extraordinary jewels, timepieces and precious objects owned and worn by dignitaries and celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Rihanna, Andy Warhol, Princess Margaret, The Duchess of Windsor, Dame Nellie Melba, the Maharaja of Patiala, the Begum Aga Khan III, and heiresses such as Barbara Hutton.
The exhibition is exclusive to Melbourne and features nearly 300 works, never before seen in Australia.
It showcases Maison Cartier’s unparalleled reputation for design excellence, craftsmanship and technical innovation and is the largest exhibition on the global jewellery house ever staged in Australia.
The scenography for the Melbourne presentation was designed for NGV by acclaimed Dutch design studios Sabine Marcelis and CLOUD.
Inspired by the shapes and colours of gemstones, the exhibition design creates a highly immersive environment in which to experience the fascinating history of Cartier from c.1900 to the present.
NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM said, “We are delighted that more 200,000 people have visited this extraordinary exhibition.”
The exhibition charts the evolution and artistic legacy of the maison, including its transformation at the turn of the 20th century by brothers Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, grandsons of the house’s founder Louis-François Cartier.
The brothers established branches in Paris, London and New York, creating the first internationally recognised jewellery maison, and highlighted Cartier’s inimitable style by bringing design and manufacturing in-house.
Cartier was described as “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers.”
Cartier’s reputation later broadened thanks to the devotion of leading creatives from the cinema, music and fashion worlds.
One of the outstanding highlights of the exhibition is a collection of more than 30 magnificent tiaras, including a spectacular display of 24 tiaras in the final gallery.
A timeless symbol of royalty, glamour and artistry, tiaras represent the pinnacle of the jeweller’s art, and some of Cartier’s most celebrated creations.
With symbolic links to the laurel wreaths of classical antiquity and celestial halos, the tiara has been worn for centuries across cultures from Asia to Europe.
The exhibition features show-stopping works from the V&A and Cartier Collection, as well as key international loans from the British Museum, Qatar Museums, Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, Collections of HSH the Prince of Monaco, Al Thani Collection and private lenders. The exhibition also features a wealth of archival material drawn from the Cartier Archives in Paris, London and New York.
The Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibition CARTIER is currently on display at NGV International until 4 October 2026. Admission fees apply.
Information and tickets are available via the NGV website: NGV.MELBOURNE
