The Cartiers

October 1, 2019
A scion of the Cartier family delivers a rich history of their jewelry dynasty. World-renowned for its iconic gems and designs, which have included the Hope Diamond, the Tank watch, and the panther bracelet, the Cartier brand is synonymous with innovative taste. Brickell details the company's creation by Louis-François Cartier in Paris in 1847; its growth under his son, Alfred; its 20th-century expansion to London and New York under the helm of Alfred's sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, whose gifts vaulted the company into an establishment that royals and America's nouveau riche titans appreciated; and the sale of each branch when the heirs parted ways in the 1960s and '70s. The author's elegant writing and a talent for braiding the main narrative with quotes from the brothers' letters enliven a bygone period in which craftsmanship and exclusivity went hand in hand. Brickell covers strategic moves that reveal the family's savvy and strings colorful anecdotes throughout the wider story of one of the French luxury industry's key players. Sections on Louis, whose aptitude for talent scouting and taste stood out, capture the excitement of designing influential collections. From heiresses and exiled Russian nobility to maharajas and Hollywood stars, each client was treated with discretion. The chapters set in the 1920s portray a memorable glamour, and comments from Brickell's grandfather add a warm immediacy. Jacques' excursions to India highlight his skill in cultivating connections as well as the advantages the family had in boasting three dedicated brothers who could be in different places at the same time while representing the brand. Furthermore, the resilience during the world wars shows the family's love of their homeland. In later chapters, the author depicts the company's structural changes after the brothers' deaths with cleareyed compassion and without assigning blame. Despite occasional disagreements, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques cooperated to create a saga of remarkable faith in each other and their motto: "Never copy, only create." A lavish, capably rendered family biography that will speak to anyone who appreciates passionate artists and dealmakers.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 7, 2019
A French jewelry dynasty weathers war, financial collapse, and a trend toward casual fashions in this sparkling group biography. Brickell, great-great-great-granddaughter of Cartier’s founder, draws on family letters and records to recount the family-owned Cartier’s four-generation rise from a Paris jewelry shop to a global luxury brand that has outfitted movie stars, maharajas, princesses, and prostitutes. It’s a saga of heroic social climbing as the Cartier commoners edged into the aristocratic circles they catered to beginning in the late 19th century, featuring unhappy arranged marriages for money and a snub that almost precipitated a duel between scion Louis Cartier and a Rothschild in the 1920s. There is also adventure and peril, including gem-hunting expeditions to India in 1911, two German military occupations, and the Bolsheviks’ liquidation of Cartier’s prized Romanov clientele, but subtler forces posed graver threats: high post–WWII taxes that sapped heiresses’ disposable incomes, and the erosion of couture standards that once compelled fashionable women to wear diamonds to the opera. Brickell adds well-informed commentary on Cartier’s jewelry innovations, like the displacement of ponderous Victorian bling with lighter, elegant pieces in delicate platinum settings, and the pioneering of men’s watch designs. The result is an engrossing study of jewelry history and of high society at its flashiest, studded with entertaining anecdotes. Photos.

September 27, 2019

Founded in 1847, Cartier is associated with high-quality jewelry; however, the family behind the French luxury goods conglomerate, in particular the three brothers--Louis, Pierre, and Jacques--who worked to establish the company as a household name, are lesser known. With this account, Brickell, the great-granddaughter of Cartier founder Louis-François Cartier, aims to correct the gap in the historical record by compiling years of research, family letters, and interviews with her grandfather to create a loving tribute. Brickell easily illustrates her passion for her family's history in a narrative that follows the lineage of the Cartiers, who created a brand set apart by sumptuously unique jewelry, uniting background cultural events with the intimate personal lives of those behind the famous name. VERDICT A thoroughly researched and enjoyable family business history that should appeal to history buffs and lovers of high-end fashion and jewelry alike.--Stacy Shaw, Denver

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2019
This history of the Cartier family is a multigenerational, sprawling account that follows the famed Cartier brand from its humble one-store beginning in Paris to its standard-setting domination of the international jewelry trade. Involving gifted artists and crafty entrepreneurs, it offers everything bling-loving readers could want. Stories about fabulous diamonds, perfectly matched pearls, glittering tiaras, iconic watches, and other jaw-dropping adornments are intertwined with detailed accounts of family lore and business dealings, descriptions of myriad social events, displays of unimaginable wealth, and copious name-dropping: royals, movie stars, maharajas, mistresses, moguls, and other glitterati. This is not mere society-page reportage, though; in 2009, author Brickell, a Cartier descendant, discovered a trove of family correspondence dating back to the 1800s. Details from these letters, and numerous quotes excerpted from conversations with Brickell's grandfather Jean-Jacques, who reluctantly ceded family ownership of the company in 1974, have been combined with extensively documented research, resulting in insightful portraits of the Cartier family and intriguing insider looks at evolving high-society social scenes. There are archival photos, genealogy and time lines, chapter notes, and an extensive bibliography. There's also a massive publisher advertising campaign in the works; expect plenty of well-deserved interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

September 27, 2019

Founded in 1847, Cartier is associated with high-quality jewelry; however, the family behind the French luxury goods conglomerate, in particular the three brothers--Louis, Pierre, and Jacques--who worked to establish the company as a household name, are lesser known. With this account, Brickell, the great-granddaughter of Cartier founder Louis-Fran�ois Cartier, aims to correct the gap in the historical record by compiling years of research, family letters, and interviews with her grandfather to create a loving tribute. Brickell easily illustrates her passion for her family's history in a narrative that follows the lineage of the Cartiers, who created a brand set apart by sumptuously unique jewelry, uniting background cultural events with the intimate personal lives of those behind the famous name. VERDICT A thoroughly researched and enjoyable family business history that should appeal to history buffs and lovers of high-end fashion and jewelry alike.--Stacy Shaw, Denver

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2019
A scion of the Cartier family delivers a rich history of their jewelry dynasty. World-renowned for its iconic gems and designs, which have included the Hope Diamond, the Tank watch, and the panther bracelet, the Cartier brand is synonymous with innovative taste. Brickell details the company's creation by Louis-Fran�ois Cartier in Paris in 1847; its growth under his son, Alfred; its 20th-century expansion to London and New York under the helm of Alfred's sons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, whose gifts vaulted the company into an establishment that royals and America's nouveau riche titans appreciated; and the sale of each branch when the heirs parted ways in the 1960s and '70s. The author's elegant writing and a talent for braiding the main narrative with quotes from the brothers' letters enliven a bygone period in which craftsmanship and exclusivity went hand in hand. Brickell covers strategic moves that reveal the family's savvy and strings colorful anecdotes throughout the wider story of one of the French luxury industry's key players. Sections on Louis, whose aptitude for talent scouting and taste stood out, capture the excitement of designing influential collections. From heiresses and exiled Russian nobility to maharajas and Hollywood stars, each client was treated with discretion. The chapters set in the 1920s portray a memorable glamour, and comments from Brickell's grandfather add a warm immediacy. Jacques' excursions to India highlight his skill in cultivating connections as well as the advantages the family had in boasting three dedicated brothers who could be in different places at the same time while representing the brand. Furthermore, the resilience during the world wars shows the family's love of their homeland. In later chapters, the author depicts the company's structural changes after the brothers' deaths with cleareyed compassion and without assigning blame. Despite occasional disagreements, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques cooperated to create a saga of remarkable faith in each other and their motto: "Never copy, only create." A lavish, capably rendered family biography that will speak to anyone who appreciates passionate artists and dealmakers.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.