Icons aren’t made in a day or a year. Often, not even in a decade. But the Parisian jeweller Cartier can boast to have a host of its own icons in the fields of both jewellery and watches with decades of history behind them. This month, the brand celebrated the 100th anniversary of its Trinity jewellery—a truly recognisable and symbolic piece of design by the maison of three interlocked rings in yellow, rose and white gold.
The Trinity was first minted in 1924, a bold statement of purity in design that featured no gemstones. Legend has it that the artist Jean Cocteau had a dream involving the rings of Saturn, and brought the idea to Louis Cartier in Paris. When Cartier created the Trinity, Cocteau quickly made a signature of wearing two sets on his pinky finger.
In the years since, the Trinity design has had an extensive list of famous fans. Screen legends like Grace Kelly, Alain Delon and Romy Schneider are just some of the illustrious names who embraced the design. More recently, Cartier has roped in a number of its global ambassadors—Jisoo, Paul Mescal, Jackson Wang, Yara Shahidi and Labrinth—to star as the new, contemporary faces of the Trinity’s centenary campaign.
No surprise, then, that these celebrities were in Paris for the occasion. The city of lights was the final stop of a three-leg tour through New York and London to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Cartier Trinity. The special evening, held at the Petit Palais, featured performances headlined by Sia, Labrinth and Diplo, as well as a dance by the French collective (who are a trio, naturally) La Horde.
In the Marais district of Paris, meanwhile, the brand staged an accompanying pop-up to introduce the latest Trinity novelties. Key among them: cushion-shaped versions of the interlocked rings, a modular design that can be combined into one band, and an extra large version as a bracelet. Proof that even a hundred years later this icon is still as fresh as ever.
