Cartier’s historic tiaras and jewels take centre stage at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria

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The Cartier exhibition brings together nearly 400 jewels, timepieces and archival materials, including 24 historic tiaras in its final gallery.

The exhibition traces more than a century of Cartier’s design legacy, from its Garland Style jewels and Tutti Frutti creations to its Mystery clocks and iconic wristwatches. (Photo: Cartier)

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19 Jun 2026 02:27PM

Twenty-four historic tiaras fill the final gallery of the latest blockbuster exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). For many visitors, it may be the first – and perhaps only – time they see so many of these jewels gathered in one place.

Opened on Jun 12, 2026, as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, the exhibition ‘ Cartier’ brings together nearly 400 jewels, timepieces, jewellery objects and archival materials, making it the largest exhibition dedicated to the French luxury house ever staged in Australia. Created by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London, in partnership with NGV and in collaboration with Cartier, the Melbourne presentation features almost 300 works never before seen in Australia.

Drawing on the Cartier Collection, Cartier’s archives and loans from museums and private collections around the world, the exhibition traces more than a century of the maison’s evolution – from its origins as a Parisian family business founded in 1847 to its rise as one of the world’s most recognisable jewellery houses.

Alfred Cartier (second from right) with his three sons (left to right), Pierre, Louis and Jacques, 1922. Cartier Collection © Cartier. (Photo: Vincent Wulveryck)

Among them is the Scroll tiara from 1902, crafted in Cartier’s signature Garland Style and worn by Lady Clementine Churchill at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. More recently, it appeared on Rihanna on the cover of W magazine in 2016. Other standouts include the Manchester tiara, commissioned in 1903 by Consuelo Montagu, Dowager Duchess of Manchester, as well as two turquoise and diamond tiaras worn by sisters Lady Nancy Astor and Lady Phyllis Brand, reunited for the first time in decades.

Elsewhere, visitors will encounter some of Cartier’s most celebrated commissions. A ruby and diamond necklace once owned by Elizabeth Taylor is shown alongside jewels associated with Grace Kelly, Princess Margaret and Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. Among Simpson’s pieces are the celebrated Flamingo brooch and the panther clip brooch centred on a 152.35-carat cabochon sapphire.

Duke Edward of Windsor (former King Edward VIII) and Duchess of Windsor (Wallis Simpson, with a necklace by Cartier) during ball in Versailles on June 17, 1953. (Photo: ©AGIP/Bridgeman Images)

Australian audiences may be particularly drawn to a section dedicated to Dame Nellie Melba. The internationally acclaimed soprano was an important Cartier client in the early 20th century, when the house was becoming known for its Garland Style jewels. On display are pieces she wore on and off stage, as well as archival material connected to her relationship with the jeweller.

Created by Cartier Paris in 1902, the Scroll tiara was commissioned for Adele, Countess of Essex, and later worn by Clementine Churchill and Rihanna. (Photo: Sean Fennessy)

The exhibition traces Cartier’s transformation under Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, grandsons of founder Louis-Francois Cartier. By establishing branches in Paris, London and New York, the brothers helped turn the family business into one of the first internationally recognised jewellery maisons and developed a design language that remains influential today.

Cartier’s 1936 Hindu Necklace, created for Daisy Fellowes and later modified in 1963, is one of the Maison’s most celebrated Tutti Frutti creations. (Photo: CNA/Boon Tan)

One figure receives particular attention: Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier’s creative director from 1933 to 1970. Closely associated with the panther motif, one of the house’s enduring signatures, Toussaint helped shape Cartier’s modern identity through bold designs that challenged many of the jewellery conventions of the time.

Jeanne Toussaint in her Rue de la Paix office at Cartier, 1962. (Photo: Cecil Beaton Archive © Conde Nast)

At Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, Cartier’s archival pieces are presented as works of design, craftsmanship and cultural history. (Photo: Sean Fennessy)

Visitors can also trace the origins of Cartier’s fascination with colour and gemstones. Jacques Cartier’s travels to India, Sri Lanka and the Middle East in the early 20th century helped establish relationships with gem dealers and collectors, introducing influences that later appeared in creations such as the house’s celebrated Tutti Frutti jewels. Among the exhibition’s standout examples is Daisy Fellowes’ spectacular Tutti Frutti necklace from 1936.

Jewellery is only part of the story. A section devoted to Cartier’s timepieces explores the hou…