For almost a century, the name Cartier has been synonymous with the finest and most exclusive jewelry in the world: top-quality gems, imaginative and distinctive designs, and the most exquisite workmanship. For tsars and maharajahs, European royalty, stage and opera stars, and American super-millionaires, Cartier has been recognized purveyor of luxurious excellence. The history of this international jewelry firm is recounted here by Hans Nadelhoffer, using Cartiers archives, working designs and photographs showing pieces of jewelry no longer in existence. The result is a full story of the house of Cartier, a social portrait of an age, in which the companys career is traced from its modest beginnings in Paris to its eventual predominance over the world of fashion. Anecdotal as well as technical, this book shows how Cartier set stylistic standards throughout its years of success and gives full credit to the little-known individuals who helped bring this about.