Cartier goes Nordic with high jewellery in Stockholm

While luxury brands descend in droves upon Italy this season, Cartier has chosen to head north. The French luxury jeweller and watchmaker has opted for the Swedish capital, Stockholm, to unveil its new high jewellery collection titled ‘En Équilibre’ (“in balance”, in English).

The city is “an ideal location”, according to Cartier SVP and chief marketing officer Arnaud Carrez. “We chose Stockholm not for the weather, but we do believe this city embodies the perfect balance between tradition and innovation, between urban life and nature, and also comfort and durability,” he tells guests (including Zoe Saldaña, Alexander Skarsgård, Anna Sawai and Deepika Padukone) during the brand’s gala dinner at the Artipelag art gallery on Tuesday.

Luxury houses tend to stick to familiar, tried-and-tested locations for high-stake events. “Cartier is a pioneering maison, one that loves to go off the beaten track and reinvent itself. That’s why exploring new cities seemed like an interesting opportunity to us,” Carrez tells Vogue Business during an interview in the historic converted factory space of Nacka Strandmässen, where the collection is on display. Last year, Cartier presented its high jewellery collection, ‘Nature Sauvage’, in Vienna.

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Some 500 guests (including 350 clients) are flying into the Swedish capital over the next two weeks to view — and possibly buy — the collection. The display features 113 new pieces, including the Panthère Dentelée necklace in white gold, with emeralds, onyx and diamonds. “It presented a technical challenge and reflects the essence of our work in terms of creativity and style,” Pierre Rainero, Cartier style and heritage director, says of the piece. There’s also the rose gold Hyala necklace, with yellow and pink sapphires as well as diamonds, which are very precious due to the rarity of their pink hue. “Everything is designed to stay true to the softness that the pink diamonds convey. It shows how high jewellery exists to showcase the stones,” Rainero says. The Tigris necklace, with yellow gold, onyx and a 16.62-carat pear-shaped topaz, is among other highlights.

The presentation includes a room dedicated to Cartier tradition, showcasing archive pieces. It also has a space for special orders where clients can purchase loose stones to create a unique piece directly with Cartier. A second showcase is planned for October in Beijing, with additional pieces.

Cartier has a historic connection with Sweden. Dating back to 1904, the house created a tiara for the Swedish royal family. Fast forward a century, and Cartier opened its first Scandinavian outpost in Stockholm in 2018; a boutique followed in Copenhagen in 2019. “The fact that we have a high jewellery event in Stockholm is an amplifier for the market. It’s a unique opportunity to invite local clients,” says Carrez.

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These kinds of events are producing pleasing results for Cartier. “The recent event in Singapore, which concluded last year’s ‘Nature Sauvage’ theme, far exceeded our expectations,” Carrez continues. “It has been a remarkable year for high jewellery at Cartier.”

Richemont-owned Cartier continues to prove resilient and outperform the market. Although Richemont does not break out figures for its individual jewellery houses, sales at its jewellery division, which includes Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati and Vhernier, grew 11 per cent in the first quarter of the year. Cartier sales for fiscal year 2025, meanwhile, hit €11.1 billion, per Morgan Stanley estimates, making it the world’s largest jeweller. Jewellery represented 63 per cent of Cartier’s sales (with high jewellery contributing 10 per cent), watches 31 per cent, and other categories including leather goods, eyewear and fragrance comprising 6 per cent, per Morgan Stanley.

The hard luxury sector is facing macro headwinds, including a slowdown in China, rising gold prices, a strong Swiss franc, looming US tariffs and a downturn in the watches category. Though Cartier is bucking some of the problems facing the rest of the luxury sector. The strategy of revitalising jewellery and watchmaking icons, led by former CEO Cyrille Vigneron and then furthered by his successor Louis Ferla, has paid off.

“We have foundations that are undeniable. The fact that we have an approach rooted in continuity, driven by long-term thinking and the creation of long-term value – I think that’s one of the key elements of the company’s success,” Carrez says. “Now, the context is what it is, so we have to demonstrate agility and continuously adjust ourselves.”

The house, as well as other Richemont houses, has been more cautious with price hikes than some of its peers. “I think it has benefited us,” Richemont chair Johann Rupert said during the company’s annual earnings call in May. Carrez confirmed the approach to pricing: “The price adjustments we’ve made in recent years have been reasonable, so I think there’s trust with our customers.” Mid-May, Cartier increased prices globally by (a smaller than expected) 2.5 per cent on jewellery and 4 per cent on watches; the last price increase was in April 2023.

According to Carrez, the Cartier exhibition at London’s V&A Museum, “is the best testament to our status as a leader”. The show, featuring 350 pieces, including precious jewels, iconic timepieces and historical gemstones, opened on 12 April and is sold out until September. “It highlights what gives us an absolutely unique position in the world of high jewellery, reinforcing the distinctiveness of Cartier since its founding in 1847,” Carrez says. “Cartier follows its own path,” adds Rainero. “We have this culture of originality, of exploration, which does not depart from our values — it gives a sense of permanence.”

Cartier’s idea of exploration is certainly being enjoyed by its guests in Stockholm. The jeweller has arranged a visit to Millesgarden, a museum and sculpture garden; a welcome cocktail at the Östermalms Saluhall food hall; and a boat trip through the Stockholm archipelago to Artipelag. After the gala dinner, Canadian rock band The Beaches performed.

For Swedish actor Skarsgård, who is based near the capital, an event so close to home is a real treat. American actor Saldaña, meanwhile, considers the trip more of a discovery experience, including the shortness of the nights at this time of year. (In Stockholm, it’s already broad daylight by 3.30am.) “I was fascinated,” she says.

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Originally published by Vogue Business