Chasing is an ancient decorative technique that involves marking patterns—either in relief or intaglio—on precious metals. It is one of the many traditional arts practiced by Cartier.
Cartier has become a veritable conservatory of traditional crafts. The creative jewelry coming out of its workshops helps to promote and pass on ancestral skills, including not only chasing but the arts of mosaic, marquetry and glyptics.
Chasing is a very ancient decorative technique found on Greek bronzes as well as Egyptian jewelry. It entails creating a pattern on metal, either raised (relief) or hollowed out (intaglio). Unlike engraving, chasing involves no cutting away of material—the artisan simply deforms it by using punches and a small hammer. Therefore, the metal, worked cold, must be sufficiently pliant.
Today Cartier uses 20-karat gold, which is softer than the 18-karat variety. Depending on the desired effect, a chaser works either on the front of the object, creating intaglio patterns—the “flat chasing” technique—or else from the back, creating relief patterns—the “repoussé” technique. The pattern may include extremely fine details that call for an infinite variety of punches, little steel tools whose tips leave a mark on the surface without cutting the metal. An experienced chaser makes his or her own punches from a rod of steel.