By Liz Hobday in Melbourne

Worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, Cartier is one of the world’s most luxurious brands.

An exhibition of jewellery from the French design house is the latest instalment in the National Gallery of Victoria’s winter masterpieces series, opening Friday.

“This is by far the largest show we’ve ever done on jewellery. It is truly epic,” said senior NGV curator Amanda Dunsmore.

The jewellery house was founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier and expanded globally under his grandsons Louis, Pierre and Jacques.

The exhibition was originally staged at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in collaboration with Cartier, but with about 400 pieces on show the Melbourne version is significantly larger.

It opens with photographs and sketches showing the early days of Cartier including a letter from Pierre sent to Jacques during World War One, stating the brothers’ ambition.

“Together, we dreamed of the greatness of our family business, and together we developed and spread its renown to all four corners of the globe,” it says.

The exhibition explores how Cartier absorbed design aesthetics from across the world, including influences from Japan, China, Egypt, India and Iran.

A long list of famous people adorned themselves with Cartier jewels, and some of the most spectacular of these pieces are on show, including a diamond and Burmese ruby necklace given to film star Elizabeth Taylor by her third husband.

There are also items from the Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson’s famous collection of big cat jewels, as well as a necklace in amethysts, turquoise, diamonds, platinum and gold.

A gold crocodile necklace made for Mexican film star Maria Felix is on display, and legend has it she brought a live baby crocodile with her when she visited Cartier to commission the piece.

As for Australian elements, there’s a case of jewels worn by opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, and a display of opals with rare black gems from Lightning Ridge in NSW.

Some will find all this brilliant and beautiful, others garish and overdone – it’s hard to escape the fact this is not only jewellery design, but a display of extreme wealth.

For those concerned the NGV has strayed too far into the commercial territory of luxury brands, Dunsmore says the gallery is presenting works of the highest quality and design intent.

“From our perspective, it is really about exceptional design, and the craftsmanship and technical innovation of these pieces,” she said.

Another consideration is a practical one: the NGV’s winter exhibitions usually attract an audience that could fill the MCG many times over, and the crowds are going to have to cram to see these small pieces.

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