Cartier feted the debut of its newest high jewelry collection, En Equilibre, in Stockholm last night. The collection showcased the jewelry house’s approach to balance: no overwhelming metalwork, space for the impressive stones to breathe in the designs, and a purposeful use of color and form to accentuate and complement each element of the pieces.
The exhibition, tucked up an impressive staircase from the water’s edge, was bookended by activations, one showcasing artisans hard at work, the other the Swedish art of fika, or coffee, sweet treats, and conversation. Another surprising element was the stone room, which showcased a selection of exceptional stones not yet made into a jewelry piece. Suggested designs sat alongside the gems, but the final creations will ultimately be up to the client and whichever paraibas, corals, sapphires, diamonds, or emeralds she, or he, desires.
For the evening portion, guests arrived via boat and walked up a trail through the scenic woods, the modern gallery appearing out of almost nowhere. Friends of the house Zoe Saldaña and Deepika Padukone both wore impressive pieces from the collection, Padukone opting for a necklace with a 58.08-carat cabochon sapphire center stone surrounded by a rippling of diamonds, and Saldana, a more colorful set of emeralds and spinels. Shogun actress Anna Sawai dazzled in a rubelite and diamond set, while local guest Alexander Skarsgard, fresh from the Cannes Film Festival where his outfits were the talk of the town, chose a brooch pinned at his shirt collar—a hunk of yellow beryl in the paws of the Cartier panthère. All four seemed happy to engage with the global media in attendance.
After dinner, the Canadian band The Beaches played a set for the intimate crowd. Their upbeat music jolted the after-party into full gear, and guests were fully on their feet and dancing by the final song, an Abba cover. Skarsgard headed to the bar, and Padukone, Saldana, and Sawai left for their hotels to prepare for a full day of brand shoots starting the next morning.
