Luxe is in and nothing says that more than high-end jewellery. But if the pickings from the shop windows on Place Vendome in Paris fail to put a sparkle in your eye, Cartier - which counts celebrities and royalty as clients - can cater to your individuality with its newly launched 'special order' service. Best of all, you don't have to fly to Paris because Cartier will come to you.
The French jeweller is offering deep-pocketed perfectionists the opportunity to work with its designers to create custom-made 'high jewellery' pieces that would elate all but the most difficult customer. Whether it's a simple wedding band or diamond-studded tiara, Cartier says there is no limit to what can be created. It's not unusual for one artisan to spend 600 hours creating a single bracelet, while a gem-encrusted necklace could take twice as long. And that's not including the work by a team of cutters, casters, setters and polishers. If the idea of wearing two years' worth of painstaking labour isn't enough, there's also the consolation of knowing you will never suffer the humiliation of bumping into somebody wearing the same piece.
'Prices can start very small, but they can go to the sky,' says Cartier's Eric Brindjont. The designers will be in Hong Kong from Thursday to Saturday.They will be in Beijing on October 18 and Shanghai on October 19 and 20. For a private consultation, call 2316 3233 (One Peking Road, Tsim Tsa Tsui) or 2522 2913 (Princes Building).