At the 27th Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris in 2014, Cartier presented a necklace featuring a pear-shaped, D IF type-IIa diamond weighing 30.21 carats. Its absolute purity earned its name: Pur Absolu.
The Pur Absolu is a 30.21-carat pear-shaped diamond that boasts a string of superlatives. The brightness of its grade-D color is matched by IF (internally flawless) clarity, while its “water” is remarkably limpid. Classed type IIa, this gem ranks among the world’s top 1% or 2% of diamonds in terms of purity.
Cartier has devised two settings worthy of this exceptional stone. First, a platinum necklace features the diamond as a pendant dangling from the delicate sphere of a natural pearl weighing 17.41 grains. Second, the diamond can be detached from the necklace to become the center of a ring—its pear shape being conducive to this kind of transformation. The ring’s setting echoes the geometric patterns of the necklace.
