Bracelet in 18K white gold set with one 30.86-carat cabochon-cut rubellite, cabochon-cut rubellites, emerald eyes, onyx, and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

The first chapter of Cartier Résonance was fea-tured in Deluxe Pad a few months ago, with the added bonus of insights drawn from an interview with Jacqueline Karachi-Langane, Cartier Creative Director for High Jewellery & High Jewellery Watches.

Now with Chapter II unveiled in early October in New York City, it seems timely to now shed light on Cartier’s atelier. It is in the atelier that each piece is brought to life, thanks to a team of experts, each with a responsibility to play their part. It must be said that if it were not for high jewellers like Cartier, some métiers d’art would completely disappear and with it the possibility to achieve excellence.

Glyptography or the art of carving is one spe-cialty that Cartier is determined to save and

promote. This commitment means that each high jewellery collection comes with a few exceptional pieces whose core showcase is a carved or sculpted stone. How difficult is it to carve a stone? Are they all the same when it comes to carving? What actually is glyptog-raphy? So many questions, and one man can answer them all: Philippe Nicolas, the head of Cartier’s in-house glyptography atelier. In the following pages, Nicolas shares his passion for stones and explains his art, giving us a rare in-sight of what goes into the creation of a high jewel. Of the four pieces in Cartier Résonance, which display stone carving, we present you with three. Of course this is in addition to the other renditions from Chapter II, so you get a full view of this stunning additional collection.

Studying the pattern of the stone before carving at Cartier in-house glyptography atelier.

Olivier Dupon - You have worked on four pieces from the Cartier Résonance collection. Could you please tell us about them?

Philippe Nicolas – We have indeed worked on two bracelets and two perfume bottle pendants. In each case, the starting point was a gemstone.

One of the bracelets is made of oak leaves of petrified wood. I have various kinds of petrified wood in my workshop since it is a material, which fascinates me. Just imagine the beau-ty of a million-year old tree that has petrified over time: pine, oak, magnolia or araucaria. The one I have used for the brace-let’s leaves comes from the USA, and through the final jewel, it comes back to life, a testament to its resilience.

The other bracelet is made of black jasper and it portrays two panther heads (featured above). Although jasper is quite a common stone, it is actually difficult to extract pieces that are sound and homogeneous. This proves that the notion of rarity

DOUBLE NERA Bracelet in 18K yellow gold, sculpted black jasper, emerald eyes, and brown brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

MALVINA Perfume Bottle Necklace in 18K white gold, sculpted amethyst, carved rubellite, Paraíba-type tourmalines, onyx, brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection.POA.

www.cartier.com

OCELLA Perfume Bottle Necklace in 18K white gold set with quartz

mica, sculpted petrified wood, green tourmaline, emerald eyes,

onyx, rock crystal and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent

Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

is not confined to the world of precious gem-stones. This bracelet accompanies a ring and it was important to highlight the core mate-rial via a sober and fine sculpture.

The same goes for the two perfume bottle pendants: the chosen materials informed the design. One (featured previous spread - right) is made of a magnificent amethyst that I found in Germany in a batch of antique South American amethysts. Both the pairing with Paraiba tourmalines and the orchid mo-tif refer to Cartier symbols (in terms of co-lours and motifs).

The last pendant (opposite) was inspired by a quartz from Madagascar that I found at a fair, and whose inclusions of hematite look like stains. A panther head made of petrified wood tops the bottle.

Olivier Dupon - Can you tell us about the trajectory of your career?

Philippe Nicolas - In 2010 Cartier asked me to open a workshop to train a new generation of experts in glyptography to ensure the contin-uation of the art into the future.

Now aged 60, I am an engraver, carver and sculptor of both hard and fine stones. But my story begins when at age 16, I wavered between studying a profession close to nature or one of the applied arts. In the end I chose to enrol at the École Boulle, and later at the École natio-nale supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris.

While at the École Boulle I studied in the carv-ing atelier. Sadly the school closed in 1976,

which makes me one of the last students there. For four years, several hours per week, I learned how to engrave glass. This was fol-lowed by a stint at the Paris Beaux Arts School, in the workshop dedicated to carving hard and fine stones where I learned that the tech-niques for glass and stone were identical. This fine institution also closed its doors 15 years ago.

When I left the Beaux Arts, I applied to high jewellery houses, all the while working as a teacher for applied art and drawing. Indeed, I understood that the only way I could pursue my art and live from it, was to offer my ser-vices to the high jewellers.

TEINTE BLEUTÉE Ring in 18K white gold, set with one 31.08-carat cabochon-cut amethyst, calibrated amethysts, calibrated aquamarines, calibrated sapphires and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent De La Faille © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

As a result, I started making pieces with hard stones for the Place Vendôme houses in 1981. It was not easy to say the least. I had to quickly learn the ropes, especially abiding by the exacting rules of high jewellery, and as a self-taught sculptor of hard stones this was quite daunting. From 1985 to 2005, I exclusively worked for one house, and I credit those 20 years with enriching me on per-sonal and artistic levels. There I learned precision whilst perfecting my technique.

In all those years, I never lost sight of the fact that it was essential to pass on the craft, so in 2005 I opened a workshop close to the Place Vendôme, which quickly drew most of the high jewellers who wanted me to work for them.

This led to my appointment as a ‘Maitre d’Art’ (Master Craftsman) in 2008; a title given to artists and artisans who excel in their art and are com-mitted to passing it on to the next generation.

In 2010, on meeting Mr Fornas, Cartier’s CEO at the time, it was proposed that I should open an in-house atelier in order to make glyptography via-ble. In 2015 I was promoted to ‘Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres’ (by the French Order des Arts et des Lettres) following Cartier and Comité Colbert’s recommendations.

www.cartier.com

TEINTE BLEUTÉE Bracelet in 18K white gold, calibrated amethysts,

calibrated aquamarines, calibrated sapphires, and brilliant-

cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier.

Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - In a few words, could you explain what the art of carv-ing or glyptography is?

Philippe Nicolas - Glyptography is the art of directly engraving fine and hard stones. There was a time when glyptography meant the art of carv-ing on stone as opposed to the art of sculpting. Nowadays the name en-compasses both sculpture and carving. Since the stones are generally harder than metal, we have to use abrasive tools. The idea is to remove some matter by erosion; it is all about subtracting or as I often call it: “learning how to renounce”.

It is typically a fine arts speciality since it is identified by the unique art-istry that emerges throughout the process. It has been described as the most difficult technique of all time. The historian of the art of carving, Ernest Babelon, while describing antique cameos, even said that they were “monumental works of art”.

It is time consuming and laborious and often requires intense dedica-tion from the carver. Nadel, an 18th century expert, pondered that “the level of success of a piece is dependent on the level of exhaustion of its creator”.

The technique is at its greatest when it totally disappears behind the work. “L’art c’est de cacher l’art”, the art is all about hiding the art that goes into it.

Olivier Dupon - How many ‘glypticiens’ (engrav-ers) are in France today?

Philippe Nicolas - I prefer to call them carvers/sculptors since “glypticiens” is a recent neologism that reduces the art to a mere technique. I perform glyptography like an art; I am interested in the lan-guage of the heart and mind, the duo of percep-tion and interpretation.

I actually have no idea how many carvers/sculp-tors there are. Making a living of glyptography is quite challenging so you get many manifestations of the profession: ones that work on commissions, lapidaries or proper sculptors. That said, in the high jewellery world, there is no similar atelier to mine.

MURMURE Necklace in 18K white gold, set with one 40.40-carat briolette-cut rubellite, rubellite beads, calibrated rubellites, black lacquer, and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

MURMURE Earrings in 18K white gold, set with two rubellite drops totaling 13.03 carats, rubellite beads, calibrated rubellites, black lacquer and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

Olivier Dupon - Is it an art whose future prospects have been safeguarded?

Philippe Nicolas - Due to the evolution of tastes and the development of new tech-niques, no one can really predict what these arts will become. So in order to guarantee the future of glyptography, we have to start by passing it on in order to make it evolve.

There is a risk that we could lose the art due

to the increase in reproduction by machin-ery. Of course the latter can help in some instances; however, we have to keep hand-making unique pieces with unique stones, the only ones that are truly sought-after and desirable.

It’s clear that by opening an in-house ate-lier, Cartier has demonstrated that it is the only high jeweller that understands the im-portance and urgency of preserving this art.

KINETO Ring in platinum, set with one 3.63-carat emerald

from Colombia, baguette-cut diamonds, and brilliant-

cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier.

Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - What is the importance of the art of carving in French culture?

Philippe Nicolas - UNESCO has catalogued the art of carving in the Intangible Cultural Heritage. As far as one can trace back the history of humanity, mankind has been carving stones. Ancient Greek and Roman works are testament to the importance of stone carving. In French culture, it was prevalent in the 18th century, and it has al-ways been a staple of high jewellery col-lections, especially those of Cartier.

BINAIRE Earrings in 18K white gold, set with four octagonal-shaped emeralds

from Zambia totaling 3.35 carats, emerald-cut diamonds, rockcrystal, and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by

Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

LEGATO Ring in platinum, set with two oval-shaped and pear-shaped spinels totalling 6.88 carats, and brilliant-cut

diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier.

Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - What are the tools that you use?

Philippe Nicolas - Traditionally we work on a fixed wheel equipped with rotating tools of various shapes, that we manufacture accord-ing to our needs. They can be made of steel, copper, brass or wood, to which we apply abrasive materials. The size of those tools varies according to the scale of the work.

For a work using intaglio carving, we use binocular loupes since the tool is no bigger than a pinhead. Diamond-coated tools and the mi-cro motor constitute the best advances of the past fifty years.

With a fixed wheel, one brings the stone towards the tool via the micro motor, which is handheld. That said, there are no set rules: each carver looking for the best solution according to the outcome they want to achieve.

SAMBHAL Necklace & Brooch in platinum, set with one 59.20-carat

carved pear-shaped sapphire from Burma, carved sapphires and

emeralds, sapphire and ruby beads, cabochon-cut rubies, and brilliant-

cut diamonds. The center stone can be worn as a brooch; photography by

Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - What are the most difficult stones? Are some impossible to carve?

Philippe Nicolas - Stones come in all shapes and sizes: they can be gemstones or com-posed of several minerals, their hardness var-ies, they can have inclusions. Our job is to make the most of them despite all these vari-ations. What is essential is to overcome these hurdles whilst making them invisible.

Of all the stones, the diamond is the hardest material with a grade of 10 thus making it the most difficult to sculpt.

Olivier Dupon - What is the most difficult motif you have had to create?

Philippe Nicolas - Let me just say that after many years of practice and personal develop-ment, one approaches each stone with great humility. So there are things we are able to achieve, others that we are not and will nev-er be able to achieve. It is the stone with its specific attributes that guides us.

It takes great expertise to be able to enhance a stone, while overcoming the difficulties faced along the way, and still preserve spontaneity. I must say that I only remember the successes, and besides my most difficult piece is proba-bly one that I have not yet started.

SAMBHAL Necklace & Brooch in platinum, set with one 59.20-carat carved pear-shaped sapphire from Burma, carved sapphires and emeralds, sapphire and ruby beads, cabochon-cut rubies, and brilliant-cut diamonds. The center stone can be worn as a brooch; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

NATRON Ring in platinum, set with one 10.75-carat oval-shaped ruby from Tanzania, two E/F VS2/SI1 tapers diamonds totalling 2.30 carats, and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent De La Faille © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - When you are faced with a rough stone, what are the critical steps to start with?

Philippe Nicolas - First one needs to study the stone: are there cracks? Is the stone transpar-ent? Is the colour following a direction? How can I neutralise the inclusions through carving or sculpting?

It is also important to assess how the light af-fects the material in terms of how it will be worn or how the eye will catch it. It is all about eval-uating how much volume one can extract, and it takes trials so as to check first how the ma-terial reacts. Once this is all under control, and only then, can one forget about all the above and start free flowing, as though drawing on a blank canvas.

HARMONIE Transformable Necklace / Pendant in platinum, set with ten D/E/F

IF/VVS2/VVS1 pear-shaped diamonds totalling 10.57 carats, nineteen D/E/F

VVS2/VVS1/VS2/VS1 marquise-shaped diamonds totalling 12.17 carats, and

brilliant-cut diamonds. The piece can be worn in different ways; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier

Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - What is the margin for error? Is it possible to retouch a stone if need be?

Philippe Nicolas - The margin of error de-pends on your assessment of the stone since at any moment there can be a surprise. When it comes to direct carving it is always possi-ble to modify or rectify a piece, and of course this could change the final outcome.

Olivier Dupon - Have you ever said ‘no’ to a proposal by a jewellery designer?

Philippe Nicolas - As long as the parties com-municate at the start of the project, and as long as the stone has been found and the technique exists, there is no point in saying ‘no’. This touches on the core philosophy of having an in-house atelier for glyptography at Cartier: we are here to offer expertise and help, no matter what, to bring projects to fruition.

Olivier Dupon - Do you work in close collabo-ration with the other métiers d’art?

Philippe Nicolas - Of course, this is crucial in jewellery making. The success of a piece de-pends on a close collaboration between all the crafts. Each métier has its own techni-cal constraints (the setters, lapidaries, pol-ishers, etc.) and we have to take them all in-to consideration.

HARMONIE Transformable Necklace / Pendant in platinum, set with ten D/E/F IF/VVS2/VVS1 pear-shaped diamonds totalling 10.57 carats, nineteen D/E/F VVS2/VVS1/VS2/VS1 marquise-shaped diamonds totalling 12.17 carats, and brilliant-cut diamonds. The piece can be worn in different ways; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

PANTHÈRE MARINE Earrings in platinum, set with briolette-cut diamond beads, aquamarine beads, onyx, and brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - How do you achieve so well the facial expressions of your subjects?

Philippe Nicolas - The facial expression in a sculp-ture could be the expression of our own humani-ty, which makes it distinct from a still life. Nature inspires us, and it is our duty to translate the in-spiration whilst avoiding caricature or triviali-sation. As long as my figurative creations are honest and sincere, I enjoy creating them.

LEGATO Necklace in platinum, set with two oval-shaped spinels totaling 18.63 carats, three pear-shaped spinels totaling 9.12 carats, brilliant-cut diamonds; photography by Vincent Wulveryck © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - Does it ever happen that the outcome goes beyond what you had in mind; in other words that a finished piece comes to life and becomes something else?

Philippe Nicolas - As far as art is concerned, it is not possible to control the life of a piece. As soon as it is produced, it takes on a life of its own thanks to its composition (a fantastic gem-stone), to its new owners or to the emotion it triggers. Observers have a role to play in the sense that they are the ones who extend the creation’s initial role. I am delighted and proud whenever a work exists in its own right.

PANTHÈRE BLOTIE Ring & Brooch in 18K white gold, set with one 27.43-carat cabochon-cut rubellite, emerald eyes, onyx, brilliant-cut diamonds. The panther can be worn on a ring or as a brooch; photography by Vincent De La Faille © Cartier. Cartier Résonance Collection. POA.

www.cartier.com

Olivier Dupon - Referring back to the two perfume bottle pendants, is glyp-tography first and foremost at the service of objects than jewellery pieces?

Philippe Nicolas - Glyptography has served all modes of expression; from cave art to the Sumerians or the Romans through to the present day, be it for objects or jewels.

When it is applied to jewellery making, it conjures our natural, almost pri-mal, sensitivity for stones. It is also true that there is no joaillerie without stones, so naturally joaillerie is a de facto area for glyptography.

As for the perfume bottles you mentioned, more than high jewels or func-tional objects, they are above all unique, authentic creations.