Cartier (jeweler)

Cartier (/ˈkɑːrtieɪ/ KAR-tee-ay, French: [kaʁtje] ^ⓘ) is a French luxury goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes and sells jewelry, watches, leather goods, sunglasses and eyeglasses. Founded in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris, France, the company remained under family control until 1964. The company is headquartered in Paris and is currently a subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont Group, a global luxury giant. Cartier operates more than 200 stores in 125 countries, with three Temples (Historical Maisons) in Paris, London and New York City.

Cartier is regarded as one of the most prestigious manufacturers of luxury goods. Forbes ranked Cartier on its Most Valuable Brands list as 56th in 2020, with a brand value of $12.2 billion and revenue of $6.2 billion.

Cartier has a long history of sales to royalty. King Edward VII referred to Cartier as "the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers". For his coronation in 1902, Edward VII ordered 27 tiaras and issued a royal warrant to Cartier in 1904. Similar warrants soon followed from the courts of Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Russia and the French House of Orléans. The largest-ever single order to date was made in 1925 by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, for the Patiala Necklace and other jewellery worth ₹1 billion (equivalent to ₹210 billion or €2.2 billion in 2023).