Featuring 300+ resplendent and beautifully-crafted jewels, tiaras, necklaces, brooches, timepieces, design drawings and more, the 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® presentation, Cartier, is the largest exhibition on the global jewellery house ever staged in Australia – opening exclusively at NGV International on 12 June 2026.
“Cartier are world-renowned for their excellence in jewellery and timepiece design and innovation – a reputation fostered by the three entrepreneurial brothers Pierre, Louis and Jacques Cartier,” said Tony Ellwood AM, Director, NGV.
“This exhibition tells the story of how they transformed their grandfather’s jewellery business into one of the most prestigious international jewellery houses with a clientele including royalty, high society and movie stars. We’re indebted to our partner institution the V&A, for their support of this Australian-exclusive exhibition, as well as key lender Cartier.”
Direct from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, the exhibition explores Cartier’s unparalleled reputation for design excellence, craftsmanship and innovation through a dazzling selection of Cartier creations owned and worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna, Princess Margaret, The Duchess of Windsor, Dame Nellie Melba, the Maharaja of Patiala, the Begum Aga Khan III, and American heiress Barbara Hutton.
The exhibition charts the evolution and artistic legacy of the jewellery house, including its transformation at the turn of the twentieth century by brothers Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, grandsons of the house’s founder Louis-François Cartier. The brothers established branches in Paris, London and New York, creating the first internationally recognised jewellery maison, and honed Cartier’s inimitable style by bringing design and manufacturing in-house.
With an enviable client list of royalty and aristocracy, Cartier was described as ‘the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers’ by King Edward VII, who granted his Royal Warrant in 1904. Cartier’s reputation later broadened thanks to the devotion of leading creatives from the worlds of cinema, music and fashion.
A major highlight of the exhibition will be a display of more than 20 magnificent tiaras, a timeless symbol of royalty, glamour and artistry – and some of Cartier’s most celebrated creations. With symbolic links to the laurel wreaths of classical antiquity and celestial halos, the tiara has been worn for centuries across cultures from Asia to Europe.
The spectacular display includes Cartier’s celebrated Scroll tiara (1902), crafted in the house’s signature ‘Garland style’ and worn by Clementine Churchill at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and by Rihanna on the cover of W magazine in 2016.
Others include the Sun tiara of 1907 with a 32-carat fancy intense yellow diamond in its centre; and the Art Deco diamond and platinum Halo tiara of 1934, which was inspired by ancient Egypt and owned by Her Highness the Begum Aga Khan III.
The exhibition includes a 1951 necklace gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by her third husband and film producer, Mike Todd, while on holiday in the French Riviera in 1957. The necklace features a geometric latticework design of diamonds that showcase seven Burmese rubies, exceptional for their size and matching colour. Taylor herself described the necklace as “like the sun – lit up and made of red fire.”
The exhibition also focuses on Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, who was an early client of Cartier when the firm was becoming known internationally for its ‘Garland style’ jewels, often featuring floral swags and bows wrought in platinum and precious gemstones.
Pierre Cartier was a fan of Dame Nellie, and a signed 1902 photograph of Melba, once owned by Pierre, will feature in the exhibition along with necklaces and bodice ornaments that the world-famous opera singer owned and wore both on and off the stage.
On display will be an intricate diamond rose clip brooch (1938) worn by Princess Margaret at her sister’s coronation, as well as a major selection of exceptional jewels belonging to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor and wife of former King Edward VIII.
These include her famous Flamingo brooch (1947), an extraordinary Bib necklace encrusted with diamonds, amethysts and turquoise, and her 1949 Panther sapphire clip brooch which features an impressive 152.35 carats Kashmir cabochon sapphire.
Named for their colourful use of rubies, emeralds and blue sapphires, a rich selection of Cartier’s iconic Tutti Frutti jewels will also feature. Additionally, there will be a standout selection of Cartier timepieces that showcase the jeweller’s industry leading innovations in watchmaking, alongside a selection of contemporary works featuring Australian opals.
The never-before-seen exhibition design is a collaboration between the NGV, Studio Sabine Marcelis and CLOUD, two multidisciplinary design practices based in Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The exhibition design will be inspired by colour, light and materiality, three elements that are synonymous with the aesthetic qualities of Cartier’s jewellery. The exhibition design will reflect Cartier’s expansive network of cultural and gemological sources that inspire their jewellery creations.
“Cartier is one of the most famous jewellery houses in the world. This exhibition will explore how Louis, Pierre and Jacques Cartier, initiated a strategy of original design, exceptional craftmanship and international expansion that transformed the Parisian family jeweller into an international household name,” said Helen Molesworth, Senior Curator of Jewellery, Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
“The V&A is delighted to tour its Cartier exhibition which celebrates the pioneering achievements of Cartier and its transformative ability to remain at the centre of culture and creativity for more than a century.”
“We are excited to be able to share with visitors of the NGV some of Cartier’s most famous creations as well as revealing previously unseen objects that further enrich our understanding of a jewellery house that continues to influence the way we adorn ourselves today,” said Molesworth.
“Building on the success of its presentation at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the NGV iteration of the Cartier exhibition will showcase pieces never-before-seen in Australia,” said Pierre Rainero, Director of Cartier Image, Style and Heritage.
“It promises to be an enlightening experience for the public, offering a captivating journey into the world of Cartier and its signature style, a living language in permanent evolution. We hope that it will not only inspire delight and awe, but also intellectual curiosity, fostering a deeper appreciation for jewelry as a distinct and powerful artistic expression.”
Cartier
NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Exhibition: 12 June – 4 October 2026
Entry fees apply
For more information, visit: www.ngv.melbourne for details.
Images: Tiara, Cartier London, 1937. Aquamarine, diamonds and platinum. Cartier Collection, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Collection © Cartier | Alfred Cartier (second from right) with his three sons (left to right), Pierre, Louis and Jacques, 1922. Archives Cartier Paris © Cartier | Necklace, Cartier Paris, 1951; altered 1953. Rubies, diamonds, platinum, yellow and white gold; Owned by Elizabeth Taylor. Cartier Collection, Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Collection © Cartier | ‘Hindou’ Necklace, Cartier Paris, special order, 1936; altered 1963. Commissioned by Daisy Fellowes. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, platinum and white gold; Cartier Collection, Vincent Wulveryck, Collection Cartier © Cartier