The Story Behind the Cartier Crocodile Necklace
Known as the Maria Felix Necklace, this Cartier crocodile is an icon that symbolizes love, beauty and femininity. It was lent to Monica Bellucci by the Maison and was worn by the Italian star at Cannes in 2002. Maria Felix was the inspiration for this jewelry line. Cartier was inspired by the Mexican singer who died in 2002. The necklace was on display at the Denver Art Museum until she passed away.
Maria Felix brought a crocodile to Cartier
The “Crocodile Necklace” was inspired by a Mexican actress who brought a crocodile to the Cartier Boutique in Paris. Maria Felix was an animal lover and once brought a bowl of baby crocodiles with her. She requested that the jeweler design a necklace featuring crocodile features. Gabriel Raton created the necklace with a crocodile pendant set in gold and adorned with emeralds and rubies.
Felix’s art-loving passion for reptiles led her to commission a piece depicting a crocodile and its shell. Her crocodile necklace features a double crocodile that is composed of interior armatures. The double crocodile is a rare jewel that embodies the artistry of Cartier and its craftsmen.
Several decades ago, a Cartier customer, Maria Felix, commissioned the jeweler to create a necklace of crocodiles. As part of the commission, she brought two pet crocodiles to the Paris boutique. She insisted that the crocodiles live inside the boutique until the necklace design was complete. However, Cartier employees eventually removed the baby crocodiles from the store because they were growing too large.
In the following years, Felix met many other writers and drew inspiration from her life. Renato Leduc dedicated several novels to her. Salvador Novo and Luis Spota also dedicated books to her. Carlos Fuentes also dedicated a novel named Zona sagrada to her. In 2016, her life and the life of her sons was commemorated with a Google Doodle. In 2017, the Pixar film Coco featured a skeletal version of her. The film includes a scene in which Felix meets the luchador El Santo.
Cartier restored it to look like the original Patiala Necklace
The famous Patiala Necklace is now on display at the British Legion. However, this necklace has undergone restoration by Cartier, which replaced the original diamonds with synthetic stones and added a few rubies. The reconstructed Patiala Necklace is still owned by the famous French jewelry house, but is now part of a new collection. It is a stunning piece of jewelry that is a must-have for anyone.
This exquisite jewel was made in the 1920s for the Maharaja of Patiala, a princely state in India. It had 2,930 diamonds, including the famous “De Beers” diamond. The diamond alone was worth three million dollars, which is why the necklace is considered one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry in history. The original necklace would have cost thirty million dollars!
When the Princess of Wales married Prince Harry, she had a regal necklace that was made of platinum and diamonds. Cartier found a similar necklace during her travels in India, but she had broken it into individual pieces and it was not worn until much later. Cartier’s restoration worked wonders on the necklace and turned it into a work of art.
In 2006, Cartier introduced the La Dona de Cartier collection, which features a watch with a half-moon shape and reptilian-like links. These pieces are more affordable than the original, but they are no less beautiful. The real Cartier does not cater to the masses. So, if you want a piece of history, buy it from Cartier.
Barbara Hutton owned it
The crocodile necklace is one of many pieces that Barbara Hutton owned. It is made of gold and is studded with cabochon rubies and diamonds. It is one of the most famous pieces from Hutton’s collection. Barbara Hutton wore it on her first date and for many years. The necklace was one of her most famous possessions and became a cherished conversation piece.
The infamously extravagant jewelry collection of the famous woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton went on to sell for a record $27.4 million at a Hong Kong Sotheby’s auction. The crocodile necklace sold for more than double its estimate, setting auction records for a Cartier crocodile necklace and jadeite ring. The necklace was purchased by a mystery buyer after just eighteen minutes of bidding.
The necklace was given to the heiress in 1933 as a gift by her father. Later she married Prince Alexis Mdivani, a Russian refugee. She passed the necklace to their daughter Princess Nina. The necklace is now on display in the Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles. While it has been passed down through the generations, its current owner is unknown. The necklace is made of gold and is a fine example of this jewelry.
The crocodile necklace that captivated the world’s attention was originally worn by a Mexican actress, Maria Felix. Maria Felix’s pet crocodiles were given to Cartier to create an exquisite piece of jewelry, and the jewel was crafted from gold and emeralds. Hutton also commissioned a pair of diamond-set snake bracelets as a gift to her daughters.
It was on display at the Denver Art Museum
The Cartier crocodile necklace was on display in Denver this month, and you can see more of its incredible designs at the exhibition. This exhibition is part of the company’s “Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century” exhibit, which features more than 250 of its most spectacular creations. This exhibition will feature jewelry, timepieces, and other works of art from Cartier, as well as pieces from private collections.
The exhibition Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century features more than 200 pieces from the house’s catalogs and collections, and spans 75 years, from 1900 to 1975. The exhibit will show the importance of design, and how it can capture the zeitgeist of an era or period. You can also see historic film clips, as well as period advertising materials, to get a better understanding of the evolution of jewelry and the world.
The exhibition highlights the history of Cartier through seven themes, including the crocodile necklace. The jewelry also includes a collection of famous women, from Elizabeth Taylor to Maria Felix. Maria Felix wore a necklace of 1,000 yellow diamonds, which she inherited from her second husband Mike Todd. In fact, the necklace is designed to be worn as a tiara and frame.
The exhibition also includes a display of the company’s earliest pieces, including the Cartier crocodile necklace and the iconic diamond bracelet. The pieces are on loan to museums around the country, but the Denver Art Museum chose it for its permanent exhibition. This show is a unique opportunity to explore the history of Cartier in detail. There’s no other show in the world like this one, and you won’t want to miss it!
It is part of the Beautiful Creatures exhibit
A crocodile is an impressive creature, and the slender, dangling jewelry of the jeweler Cartier is no exception. The double crocodile necklace features interior armatures, which make the piece feel like a Cartier creation. Its commission was inspired by the benevolent owner, Felix, who wanted to display his love for reptiles. In a rare gesture, Felix offered his craftsmen a Champagne toast for the work they did on the necklace.
The crocodile necklace is among the many pieces of jewelry featured in the Beautiful Creatures exhibit. The piece is made of platinum, and has been on display since September 2015. The Cartier crocodile necklace is one of the most popular pieces on display. This necklace is also a favorite piece of jewelry of animal conservationist Lauren Hutton, who is also a proud Cartier collector.
The crocodile necklace is one of the most stunning examples on display in the exhibit. The necklace was specially ordered by the actress Maria Felix, a renowned Mexican actress, who identified with snakes as a symbol of strength, wisdom, and beauty. Throughout her life, she collected jewelry in snake themes. In the mid-1960s, while living in Paris, she commissioned a necklace of this kind by Cartier.
This crocodile necklace is part of a collection of stunning Cartier jewellery, spanning over three thousand pieces. The jewellery is made from genuine crocodile skin, and was made by an expert in the field. The piece is the most expensive in the world and has an estimated value of $3 million. It is part of a limited-edition exhibition, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of Cartier jewelry.
The Story Behind the Cartier Crocodile Necklace