Cartier's New Collection Mixes Metals, and We Love It!
Even since our earliest days, mixing metals has felt beyond the pale. In our teenage years, we decide we are either a gold or a silver person (although these days, the decision is made by disturbingly intuitive TikTok filters), and very rarely will you find someone willing to stray from this decision. While the fashion set readily embraces this melting pot of metals — and looks so good when they do — it is actually a hundred-year-old union that marries these elements in perfect harmony.
The practice of blending metals in jewellery can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans. Artefacts show a considered and artful combination of gold, silver and copper to create intricate designs, adding a vibrant display of colours to their adornments. However, it was Cartier’s Trinity Ring, introduced in 1924, that truly sparked the trend we see today, serving as a catalyst for this historical union. Trinity’s first release was amid the excess and opulence of the ‘Roaring’ 20s’. The immediately recognisable silhouette features three interlocking bands of yellow gold, rose gold and white gold, each representing a different narrative: friendship, love and fidelity.
A bold design signalling a fearless and definitive departure from the traditional jewellery of the time, it today exists as an iconic symbol of elegance and versatility. But it goes beyond a mere ring: Trinity has formed a cornerstone understanding of Art Deco and modernism’s influence on jewellery. At the height of its popularity, Trinity was seen on Jean Couteau and Gary Cooper in the 1930s and, some decades later, Grace Kelly and Romy Schnieder.
Now, with the shape so famously reimagined, you’ll often find the montage of metals on the likes of BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and one very swoony Paul Mescal. Lending a nonchalant perspective that you’d expect to find on an It Girl of NYC, the elegant execution of Cartier’s iconic Trinity adds a sense of sophistication that truly makes each piece one of the most versatile and wearable elements of any collection. In its myriad forms, Trinity is as much at home when paired with jeans and a t-shirt as it is worn to the most sophisticated affair.
To us, Cartier’s Trinity is as much an anchor on which to layer vast and varied pieces as it is a dare to be bolder, more curious, and stray away from your most beloved traditions. One could almost argue that disregarding the great taboo of jewellery — and as such, bidding farewell to the idea of only rocking gold or silver — might be the boldest approach we’ve taken with our personal style yet. And doesn’t it feel so liberating?
Advertisement
