Cartier has never ceased to reinterpret its favorite icon. For the past century, the panther has in turn displayed its predatory, regal, playful and affectionate character. In exchange, the feline challenges the jeweler to render its vibrancy and liberated personality, prompting constant innovation and the contribution of skilled artisans—such as glypticians. The Maison has always been committed to preserving and passing on rare, often ancestral, skills, and in 2010 it created a workshop, headed by a Maître d’art, for the sculpting of hard and fine stones. This was a first in the jewelry-making world. One of the workshop’s early creations was, understandably, a panther. The animal’s powerful features were sculpted directly from a rough piece of wood that had been permeated—petrified—by silica and transformed into stone, almost 70 million years ago. The singular material presents irregularities, veins and differences in shading that inspire jewelers. This piece features wood-colored hues ranging from dark to light, from crown to nose. The chiaroscuro effect gives the animal a striking presence.
After taming the panther, Cartier has mastered the transformation of stone.
