Cartier's jewellery designers let the rocks do the talking

A single rectangular 24-carat diamond set on a simple ring - because with that diamond you don't need anything else - could set you back a cool HK$50 million. It was the most expensive item on display at the Cartier high jewellery press presentation on Friday.

'When you have a stone like this, it is so rare that you don't need anything else,' said Tamie Toledano, Cartier's marketing and communications director. 'You would say naturally that some of the necklaces on display are the most expensive, but it is the rings.'

The Cartier tour has already been to Beijing and Shanghai and will also go to Macau and Taiwan.

Cartier's head of high jewellery, Maya Lin (below), showed off her own panther necklace, as models paraded the Cartier collection, some with the iconic panther - a favourite of the late Duchess of Windsor - but others with a stunning mix of violet, blue and milky sapphires, as well as smaller diamond ensembles, and emeralds, which are more popular with the buyers here.

The economic downturn had not affected sales in high jewellery, said Lin, because clients were aware that there were often only one or two items like these in the world, so if they did not buy it, they would miss it forever.

Angela Leong On-kei, the fourth wife of Stanley Ho Hung-sun, was due to be at a private viewing on Friday evening, but Lin and others remained tight-lipped on other private clients.