The Cartiers
The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
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The Cartiers
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Narrated by:
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Hattie Morahan
About this listen
“A dynamic group biography studded with design history and high-society dash . . . [This] elegantly wrought narrative bears the Cartier hallmark.”—The Economist
The “astounding” (André Leon Talley) 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-François Cartier, this book is a magnificent, definitive, epic social history shown through the deeply personal lens of one legendary family.
Critic Reviews
“A human story—one even the unadorned will read with pleasure.”—The New York Times
“Extraordinary.”—The Spectator
“Dramatic.”—The Economist
What listeners say about The Cartiers
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 26-12-2023
Fabulous journey into the history of Cartier
Absolutely loved listening to this sorry. It was an incredible account of the Cartier history from the early humble days to the rise of Cartier and how it became the Cartier it is today. Fabulous detail and so many interesting stories within the story make it an exceptional read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-10-2021
Amazing
This is an important work because it is not only historical but an appreciative history of a family's struggle to be creative and make money - fascinating, as a creative I hung on every word
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Belinda Barclay
- 03-06-2023
Superb
Absolutely engaging, well researched, written and and read. I listened to this after listening to Ritz. The overlay of the fwo was outstanding listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymon
- 19-07-2020
A Brilliant Gem
Francesca has used her great skill in writing this history of the Cartier families in such an excellent manner, that it compares with the high standards always expected by her forebears in their craftsmanship of jewelry, watches, clocks and other desirable high end items.
The book relates the story of the family members and how their careers developed and business expanded, while many other events were taking place in the world at the same time. Not only political events and two world wars, but also the effect of and on fashion houses and how they interacted. This is what makes it all so fascinating.
I will be surprised if Francesca is not awarded a prize for this outstanding book.
The narration of Mattie Morahan was a bit fast for me so I set the speed at 90, which made it perfect (and shared the pleasure a bit longer).
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bradley
- 10-04-2020
Incredible real life story
A family that touched on so many historical events. painstakingly researched, beautifully written and narrated.
It's like a real life epic filled with princes, princesses, politicians and celebrities. Highly recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angie Parker
- 01-01-2022
family dynasty
A wonderful look into a family dynasty in a changing time of opulance and change.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- remy
- 05-05-2023
Epic
Incredible story that spans four generations. A must listen if interested in family dynasties or Jewellery trade
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