The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
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- Create Date：2021-06-27 06:51:22
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Francesca Cartier Brickell
- ISBN：0525621636
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Summary
"A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash 。 。 。 [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark。"--The Economist
The captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather's humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon--as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives
"Ms。 Cartier Brickell has done her grandfather proud。"--The Wall Street Journal
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty--four generations， from revolutionary France to the 1970s。 At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was "Never copy， only create" and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century， thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis， the visionary designer who created the first men's wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre， the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques， the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world's best rubies， emeralds， and sapphires， inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry。
Francesca Cartier Brickell， whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers， has traveled the world researching her family's history， tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way。 Now she reveals never-before-told dramas， romances， intrigues， betrayals， and more。
The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm's most iconic jewelry--the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond， the Romanov emeralds， the classic panther pieces--and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion， film， and royalty who wore them， from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson， Coco Chanel， and Elizabeth Taylor。
Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty's founder， Louis-Fran�ois Cartier， this book is a magnificent， definitive， epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family。
The captivating story of the family behind the Cartier empire and the three brothers who turned their grandfather's humble Parisian jewelry store into a global luxury icon--as told by a great-granddaughter with exclusive access to long-lost family archives
"Ms。 Cartier Brickell has done her grandfather proud。"--The Wall Street Journal
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty--four generations， from revolutionary France to the 1970s。 At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was "Never copy， only create" and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the twentieth century， thanks to their unique and complementary talents: Louis， the visionary designer who created the first men's wristwatch to help an aviator friend tell the time without taking his hands off the controls of his flying machine; Pierre， the master dealmaker who bought the New York headquarters on Fifth Avenue for a double-stranded natural pearl necklace; and Jacques， the globe-trotting gemstone expert whose travels to India gave Cartier access to the world's best rubies， emeralds， and sapphires， inspiring the celebrated Tutti Frutti jewelry。
Francesca Cartier Brickell， whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers， has traveled the world researching her family's history， tracking down those connected with her ancestors and discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way。 Now she reveals never-before-told dramas， romances， intrigues， betrayals， and more。
The Cartiers also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the firm's most iconic jewelry--the notoriously cursed Hope Diamond， the Romanov emeralds， the classic panther pieces--and the long line of stars from the worlds of fashion， film， and royalty who wore them， from Indian maharajas and Russian grand duchesses to Wallis Simpson， Coco Chanel， and Elizabeth Taylor。
Published in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the birth of the dynasty's founder， Louis-Fran�ois Cartier， this book is a magnificent， definitive， epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family。
Reviews
Karyn
，
Wow！ Just finished listening to this and it is amazing！ it’s such a rich and incredible story of a family of artists and the jewelry they made。
Alexandra
，
This audiobook took me a looong time to get through。 An interesting， at times self indulgent history of a very interesting family。 I found it somehow under and over explained a lot of the time， and failed to acknowledge the insane wealth and privilege of the members of the company/family as the generations went on。
Mary Sullivan
，
Such a well written enlightening to read book。 It was way more than juts a story about a family legacy。 It did a great job of explaining what happened in Paris and around Europe with the Franco-Prussian war。 In addition it had an interesting twist on what happened inside Paris during WWII。 It was eye opening to think some people escaped the war by just traveling south and staying in the same country。 I had not read about that before。 I had no idea that they really became of a successful business Such a well written enlightening to read book。 It was way more than juts a story about a family legacy。 It did a great job of explaining what happened in Paris and around Europe with the Franco-Prussian war。 In addition it had an interesting twist on what happened inside Paris during WWII。 It was eye opening to think some people escaped the war by just traveling south and staying in the same country。 I had not read about that before。 I had no idea that they really became of a successful business because they were such good marketers and the older generation looked out for one another。 They were also very good with art and created new things all the time。 It's too bad the 3rd generation in had such an entitled attitude and sold out。 That started the fall and demise of the family business。 And when outside parties starting buying the various Cartier locations。 If you like Family stories and hearing about France you will like this story。 。。。more
Andrea Lee
，
I love a good biography and this did not disappoint。 This starts with Alfred and goes through 1974， when Jean Jacques， the last of the brothers， sold his shares。 They led such interesting lives， and were good men。 There is so much more than jewelry。 I highly recommend this book。
Elizabeth Lim
，
It's a pretty long book， and at times wordy with more detail than I really needed， but looking back to when I first started the book， it's been a literal adventure through the ages （think the era of kings and queens and nobility， to 2 world wars， and then the postwar world as we know it now） accompanied by heartwarming tales of familial bond， the inspiring ambition and creativity of jewelry makers， and the glitz and glamor of extremely pricey jewels。 Altho I doubt you would make it through this It's a pretty long book， and at times wordy with more detail than I really needed， but looking back to when I first started the book， it's been a literal adventure through the ages （think the era of kings and queens and nobility， to 2 world wars， and then the postwar world as we know it now） accompanied by heartwarming tales of familial bond， the inspiring ambition and creativity of jewelry makers， and the glitz and glamor of extremely pricey jewels。 Altho I doubt you would make it through this if you weren't already interested in the Cartiers。 。。。more
Lesley Botez
，
Huge amount of research and information in this book which covers the house of Cartier from modest beginnings in the mid-19th century to its sale outside of the family in the 1970s。 The author shares fascinating details about individual jewellery pieces， their design， who bought them and for how much。 Many are beautifully illustrated。However I felt the story was struggling to define its purpose - was it trying to tell of a family with its hopes and fears， or the buyers and their society spanning Huge amount of research and information in this book which covers the house of Cartier from modest beginnings in the mid-19th century to its sale outside of the family in the 1970s。 The author shares fascinating details about individual jewellery pieces， their design， who bought them and for how much。 Many are beautifully illustrated。However I felt the story was struggling to define its purpose - was it trying to tell of a family with its hopes and fears， or the buyers and their society spanning a century and a half， or the development of the three parts of the firm as a business - London， New York and Paris？ There was just too much。 It needed a good edit and perhaps dividing into several books， instead of one。 Reading it turned out to be more of a slog than a pleasure。 It took me a month and I was determined not to give up because there was so much valuable content。 。。。more
Jamele （BookswithJams）
，
Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this one。 It is long but gripping and reads like fiction at times。 I did not know much about the history of Cartier， and this is a fantastic account of their beginning through roughly current day and is told by a great-grand daughter with exclusive access to the family。 I was so interested in the jewels and how they changed through the periods， from times of excess to times of depressions / recessions， and the ways that Cartier still made sure they were the name that peop Oh I thoroughly enjoyed this one。 It is long but gripping and reads like fiction at times。 I did not know much about the history of Cartier， and this is a fantastic account of their beginning through roughly current day and is told by a great-grand daughter with exclusive access to the family。 I was so interested in the jewels and how they changed through the periods， from times of excess to times of depressions / recessions， and the ways that Cartier still made sure they were the name that people reached for first。 I took my time with this one， and the audio is equally fantastic， but I highly recommend this one to those that want to learn more about this family as well as the periods of history that they served， which have been many。Huge thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the digital copy to review。 。。。more
Ilisha Bhandari
，
A very intriguing and excellent book on the family behind a success jewellery business
Nancy Vachon
，
Very good but long book。 The history of a time where jewels had a profound effect on who people were or wanted to be。 I love that a Cartier granddaughter found a dusty trunk of family letters in the basement while looking for a bottle of champagne to celebrate her grandfather's birthday。 Very good but long book。 The history of a time where jewels had a profound effect on who people were or wanted to be。 I love that a Cartier granddaughter found a dusty trunk of family letters in the basement while looking for a bottle of champagne to celebrate her grandfather's birthday。 。。。more
Kashish Mehta
，
Being in the trade loved that book from the different generations of the Cartier family and how they have kept the succession going in the family business。3 brothers with differ ideas。Little long book but worth a read for jewellers
Mary Ann
，
This book is a masterpiece。 Guided by thorough research and meticulous attention to detail， the author， granddaughter of Jacques Cartier， recounts the rich history of the family business。 Francesca Cartier Brickell presents 130 years of Cartier in a highly engaging， incredibly readable history。 The Cartiers gives readers a glimpse into the origins of the family business， and details how the respected jewellery firm grew for three generations until the sons of Alfred Cartier took the reins of the This book is a masterpiece。 Guided by thorough research and meticulous attention to detail， the author， granddaughter of Jacques Cartier， recounts the rich history of the family business。 Francesca Cartier Brickell presents 130 years of Cartier in a highly engaging， incredibly readable history。 The Cartiers gives readers a glimpse into the origins of the family business， and details how the respected jewellery firm grew for three generations until the sons of Alfred Cartier took the reins of the business and grew it into the three branches of the company， based in Paris， London and New York， that the public came to know。 Ms。 Cartier-Brickell makes the reader feel like they know her grandfather and great-uncles， as she details their lives， their entrée into the family business， and the skills and talents they each bring to the firm。 Set against a backdrop of the political and societal changes that began and continued to occur after the turn of the century， Ms。 Cartier-Brickell shows how changing times influenced art， fashion， function and the notion of luxury。 This book is not just about jewellery; it gives the reader a rare glimpse into the inner workings of an iconic brand， and how history and society shaped its trajectory。 。。。more
Anne S。
，
This was an interesting book about the Cartier family。 I didn't know much about French history during this time。 Hearing about it through the eyes of individuals who lived through it brought the history to life。 It was harder to follow the more current history because it was more spread out。 The family fulfilled their goal of expanding the store to other countries from France but in the process they became less cohesive which eventually caused the sale of the stores out of the family。 I was skep This was an interesting book about the Cartier family。 I didn't know much about French history during this time。 Hearing about it through the eyes of individuals who lived through it brought the history to life。 It was harder to follow the more current history because it was more spread out。 The family fulfilled their goal of expanding the store to other countries from France but in the process they became less cohesive which eventually caused the sale of the stores out of the family。 I was skeptical that the author could write well since she's a family member。 I was pleasantly surprised that she's a good writer。 However， I'm not sure she was completely unbiased about her ancestors。 I can usually read an interesting book in less than a week。 I had to rush to finish in three weeks。 。。。more
Jiliac
，
This is a wonderful story。 I love biographies to get the feel for a particular time and place。 Through the life of other people。 This is really multiple biographies packed into one。 Focused on the early 20th century。 Also interesting to know what's behind this name we hear sometimes。 Entertaining read。 This is a wonderful story。 I love biographies to get the feel for a particular time and place。 Through the life of other people。 This is really multiple biographies packed into one。 Focused on the early 20th century。 Also interesting to know what's behind this name we hear sometimes。 Entertaining read。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
LOVED IT！The Cartier Brothers would be proud of their descendent for the care， research， and quality of this remarkable book。 A cultural history through a multi-generational biography， this book is meticulously researched and exceptionally written。 It embodies "The Cartier Style！" At first glance， it appears to be a monster of a book with a staggering 600+ printed pages， but it reads as a story。 Chapters are broken up into manageable bits， and the text is filled with photos and personal stories LOVED IT！The Cartier Brothers would be proud of their descendent for the care， research， and quality of this remarkable book。 A cultural history through a multi-generational biography， this book is meticulously researched and exceptionally written。 It embodies "The Cartier Style！" At first glance， it appears to be a monster of a book with a staggering 600+ printed pages， but it reads as a story。 Chapters are broken up into manageable bits， and the text is filled with photos and personal stories from the author's grandfather - the final family-owner of Cartier。 This family business encountered so many of the world's historical figures， and it was great to hear the "behind the scenes" drama history books never address。 Additionally， this book is filled with great features on different jewelry - ranging from the Tank Watch to the Big Cats。 Each feature could be a valued stand-alone essay if needed。 If you like biographies of interesting people， histories of Paris， London， or NYC， learning business strategy， or just looking at pretty things like diamonds， you will enjoy it。 I had one question during my time reading the book， and I was able to reach out to the author via social media （the book lists how to follow the author）。 I had a lovely exchange with Francesca Cartier Brickell， and she promptly answered my question。 Kudos to the author for engaging writing！ The 10 years she spent putting this together were worth it！ I enjoyed every minute with The Cartiers。 。。。more
Lindsey Wilde
，
Great Gatsby meets American history meets French luxury fashion。 This book is a longer read （700+ pages） but takes you through the establishment of the Cartier brand in France， how the brand integrated its way into almost all royal families， how the brand survived the French occupation by the Nazis， the opening of their New York fifth Avenue location， the sale of the Hope Diamond， and the establishment of Cartier in luxury jewel history。 An interesting chronology of the world famous luxury jewel Great Gatsby meets American history meets French luxury fashion。 This book is a longer read （700+ pages） but takes you through the establishment of the Cartier brand in France， how the brand integrated its way into almost all royal families， how the brand survived the French occupation by the Nazis， the opening of their New York fifth Avenue location， the sale of the Hope Diamond， and the establishment of Cartier in luxury jewel history。 An interesting chronology of the world famous luxury jewelry brand！ 。。。more
MH
，
Dnf - i don't know what possessed me to add this to my reading list， but i got far enough to realize this was more of a "look how awesome my family is" book versus a critical history。 Dnf - i don't know what possessed me to add this to my reading list， but i got far enough to realize this was more of a "look how awesome my family is" book versus a critical history。 。。。more
Sukanya Kuruganti
，
I really enjoyed reading Francesca Cartier Bricknell's personal family narrative of how a small family business started nearly 175yrs ago grew to become amongst the most valuable jewelry brands in the world。 As Louis Francois Cartier and 4 generations of his family grew their business painstakingly， in the background some of the most impactful socio-economic-political events of the 20th century played out - from the Russian revolution， both World Wars， rising American wealth and dominance， Influ I really enjoyed reading Francesca Cartier Bricknell's personal family narrative of how a small family business started nearly 175yrs ago grew to become amongst the most valuable jewelry brands in the world。 As Louis Francois Cartier and 4 generations of his family grew their business painstakingly， in the background some of the most impactful socio-economic-political events of the 20th century played out - from the Russian revolution， both World Wars， rising American wealth and dominance， Influence of Asia and Middle East etc。 Each of these periods influenced jewelry design and fashion trends。 Cartier's brilliance in reflecting these changing times into jewel design and the nimbleness with which they ran their closely held family business - made them the preeminent jewelry design house for generations of European royalty， Indian Maharajas and American wealthy。 Highly recommend this book if you appreciate jewelry and enjoy reading about multi-generational entrepreneurs and world history。 。。。more
Tom C
，
Captivating was the word。 The granddaughter draws you in immediately and completely。 She adored her grandfather and nearly missed and extraordinary desire to succeed。 And take care of his family。 Great business book for case studies as well。
Quimby 📚📖🩰💐🦥🐘☕️📚📖
，
A masterclass in brand building。
Diane
，
Fascinating book。 Story of the jewelry family， brothers who started the business and followed it through the family。 How it survived wars and family trauma。 Wonderful pictures of the jewelry， clocks， and family。
Kriti Bajaj
，
Beautiful。
Vatasal
，
Truly a jewel of a book。 Unbelievable that it didn’t came out earlier。 A must read！
Zoe Blake
，
Fascinating and extremely well researched。 I'm not going to lie， I purchased this book hoping for some salacious behind-the-scenes details about the jewelry tastes and scandals of European and Hollywood Royalty but quickly realized that in keeping with her family's tradition of discretion， the author kept the more unsavory details off the written page。 I don't know about anyone else but I think an unauthorized biography of Louis alone would be a titillating read！ Fascinating and extremely well researched。 I'm not going to lie， I purchased this book hoping for some salacious behind-the-scenes details about the jewelry tastes and scandals of European and Hollywood Royalty but quickly realized that in keeping with her family's tradition of discretion， the author kept the more unsavory details off the written page。 I don't know about anyone else but I think an unauthorized biography of Louis alone would be a titillating read！ 。。。more
Scott A。 Greer
，
Fantastic insight into the founding and building of the Cartier dynasty！I was eager to read this book after learning it was written by a descendant Cartier。 The author has done a masterful job in providing a clear lens into the lives of the magnificent Cartier founders and subsequent generations。 A great reflection on the trials， challenges， and global successes of the family firm。 A true Golden Age learning of true and pure craftsmanship at the highest levels。
Bill
，
This two-hundred-year-old business has connections with most of the rich and famous for its time span。 The book works on at least two levels: The first level tells us how a family business is kept a family business and made to prosper for most of this period。 The second level is a gossipy account of what the rich and famous did and what jewelry they bought for this period。 The book is a little long but worth the effort。
Patricia S。 Villalobos
，
In the beginning I thought I might get bored with this book。 However， it is chock full of historical events and famous people。 The Cartiers were famous jewelers and this is their family history。 I may have enjoyed it because I once sold jewelry。 It is long but because I listened to it on Audible， it wasn't a drudge for me。 In the beginning I thought I might get bored with this book。 However， it is chock full of historical events and famous people。 The Cartiers were famous jewelers and this is their family history。 I may have enjoyed it because I once sold jewelry。 It is long but because I listened to it on Audible， it wasn't a drudge for me。 。。。more
Rebekah Berger
，
This was alright。 Told from a very specific- and sympathetic- point of view。 Indulgently over-long。
Georgette
，
Loved this book and the story told。 A legacy through the generations。 The author did a fabulous job of weaving all of the facts and stories shared by others into a beautiful piece of art history！
Linda Gustaffsen
，
I listened to this one on Audible。 I suspect it might have gotten a little tedious in places to read because of the length but it was a good listen！ Interesting story。
Narahari G
，