Return Of The Panther - Cartier Panther Collection

Don Penny/Studio D

On planet fashion, a century is something of an eternity. But then in the world of fine jewelry, as in the jungle, the panther is a symbol of power, elegance, and, above all, endurance. And now, in honor of the line's 100th anniversary, the new Panthère de Cartier collection features more than 50 pieces, the biggest in the house's history. Like its devotees, it's the embodiment of modern elegance (with a touch of ferociousness thrown in): a geometric-cut solid-gold ring in the shape of the iconic cat's gaping jaw; the 3-D panther atop a mesmerizing citrine for a pendant; onyx-and-diamond bracelets of felines with piercing emerald eyes.

Introduced in 1914 as the black-and-white onyx-and-diamond-pavé motif on a watch, the panther went on to adorn the hands, wrists, décolletages, and waistlines of the world's most fashionable women. Indeed, the first Cartier cat in three-dimensional form came to life as a gold brooch commissioned by the Duke of Windsor for his wife in 1948. (The duchess swiftly added the famous star sapphire panther brooch and a full-fledged Panthère bracelet to her collection.) Today the wildly exotic and mystical panther can be found in the jewelry wardrobes of strong women like Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, and Stella McCartney—and by strong we mean powerful, because it's not every woman who can pull off a big cat.

Of course, we would not have the legacy of the panther without the woman who was its inspiration. Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier's longtime artistic director and a friend and muse of Louis Cartier, was aptly nicknamed La Panthère. Joining the maison around 1918 (there is no official date in the archives), Toussaint is credited with launching the reign of the panther: The full cat first appeared in 1917, in onyx on top of a vanity case Louis designed for her. Through her vision Toussaint helped reinvent jewelry for the 20th century. "Louis Cartier knew she had an eye and an understanding of the new elegance for women that was emerging," Pierre Rainero, Cartier's international director of image, style, and heritage, says of Toussaint, who was renowned for her irreverence with fashion—her penchant for wearing a turban, a leopard-skin coat, and silk pajamas at dinner parties. Not surprisingly, her Paris apartment was filled with sleek panther skins. But then a Panthère woman is nothing if not fearless.

Cartier ring, price upon request, 800-CARTIER.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfm660tMiopWiclai2qLrEq6pomWNngnV7wpqpraGVp3qxrc2tn56qXZi8rbjEnKuip55ifXp9k2g%3D