The Panthère has been prowling around Cartier jewellery for 111 years. Now, its angular, stylised head is fashioned into a pair of exceptional stud earrings
As of 2025, the Panthère has been prowling around Cartier jewellery for a rather satisfying 111 years. Its distinct markings – generally executed in white diamonds and onyx, although sometimes in yellow gold too – were first recreated on a watch. The actual form of the big cat, meanwhile, debuted on a cigarette case made in 1917 and given by the family scion Louis Cartier to formidable jewellery designer Jeanne Toussaint, who was also his lover. Cartier (the man) called Toussaint “ma petite panthère”, and in turn she reshaped Cartier (the brand) in her feline image, making the big cat entirely synonymous with the house. Well, cat, Cartier. It does fit. The monochrome markings also chime neatly with Cartier’s early championing of the graphic style of Art Deco, while the animalier idea adds a distinct sense of fantasy to the forms, ushering in an endless stream of technical and stylistic innovation in the early 20th-century that still forms the backbone of Cartier’s cultural identity today. For the past century, the panthère has popped up on brooches, sprinted across wrists, its jaws have clamped around fingers and, here, its angular, stylised head is fashioned into a pair of exceptional stud earrings, pavé set with emeralds (for the eyes), onyx (for the spots) and 132 brilliant-cut diamonds.
Panthère de Cartier stud earrings in white gold with emeralds, onyx and brilliant-cut diamonds are available now.
