Legendary colored diamonds have passed through Cartier’s workshops. The Hope, the blue gem of the Crown of France, was acquired by Louis XIV and magnified by Cartier several centuries later, around 1910. The Williamson, with its pinkish reflections, was Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewel, placed in the Maison’s hands in 1953 to become the centerpiece of an exquisite flower brooch. And the Ranjitsinhji, with its slightly blue tint, was placed below a cascade of colored diamonds for the Maharaja of Nawanagar in the 1930s. Each of these stones is remarkably rare and holds a magical charm.
It would be an understatement to merely describe a 5.25-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond, set by Cartier on a ring in 2016, as rare. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), no more than 3% of all diamonds assessed by the prominent laboratory are colored and, of these, less than 5% are pink. Such a gem attains a whole new level of rarity when it exceeds 5 carats, as is the case here.
Cartier’s challenge was to enhance the stone’s beauty and fully express its uniqueness and aura. The jewelers have encircled the gem with a line of platinum in a motif freely inspired by traditional Japanese bows. By enlacing the stone without covering or overshadowing it, the precious ribbon softens its narrow pear shape and heightens its sparkle.